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Bangladesh mutiny suspects tortured: Rights group
Agence France Presse - July 4, 2012
Human Rights Watch said in a report that 47 suspects had died in custody and that "detainees were subjected to beatings, often on the soles of their feet or palms of their hands, and to electric shock".
"Some victims described being hung upside down from the ceiling," the report said, adding that "many of those who survived the torture suffered long-term physical ailments, including kidney failure and partial paralysis".
At least 74 people, including scores of senior army officers, were killed during the February 2009 mutiny that began when soldiers at the Bangladeshi Rifles headquarters in the capital Dhaka went on a killing spree.
Bangladeshi authorities have jailed more than 4,000 soldiers for offences committed during the nationwide mutiny, while 2,000 more are on trial or awaiting further court proceedings. Of those on trial, 800 are soldiers charged with murder and attempted murder, for which they could be sentenced to death by hanging.
"Those responsible for the horrific violence that left 74 dead should be brought to justice, but not with torture and unfair trials," said Brad Adams, Asia director of the New York-based group.
The mutiny, sparked by pent-up anger among lower rank soldiers, spread from Dhaka to posts across Bangladesh, with thousands taking up arms against commanding officers.
Dozens of special courts – run by the military using a mix of martial and civilian law – were set up to prosecute mutineers, with the latest verdict last month convicting 611 soldiers to up to seven years in jail.
"Mass trials like these simply cannot provide justice for victims, or real answers about who was responsible for the terrible crimes committed during the mutiny," said Adams.
State prosecutor Mosharraf Hossain told AFP that the allegations were "100 percent untrue" and the trials had been conducted correctly and suspects treated fairly.
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