ICT responds to letter from law firm 'representing Sheikh Hasina'

The letter is attempting to spark controversy around the tribunal and is not being taken seriously, the tribunal’s chief prosecutor says

The International Crimes Tribunal’s prosecution claims to have only learnt about the alleged letter from a British law firm on behalf of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina through media reports.

Prominent London-based law firm Kingsley Napley previously claimed it had sent a letter to the ICT contesting the legality and fairness of a trial against Hasina.

ICT Chief Prosecutor Md Aminul Islam appeared and spoke about the issue to the media on Thursday.

Asked if he had received such a letter, he said: "No, they probably haven't written anything like that to us, or we don't know. It is through you that we are finding out that Kingsley Napley sent such a letter. So, the copy that I have received through you says it is addressed to the International Crimes Tribunal.

“Below it is written Dear ICT. Addressing an abstract person with, ‘Dear ICT’, and not stating the International Crimes Tribunal, or the address… if this is a London-based firm, then this kind of language should not be used."

Claiming that nothing like the letter could be found on the Kingsley Napley website, the chief prosecutor said: "When trials are going on at the tribunal, when very powerful people are being tried, then there are attempts to confuse the media and raise awareness among the public by attaching names of institutions like Kingsley, Pingsley, etc."

Aminul said he considers the letter to be “baseless”.

Asked if someone sentenced to death could have the opportunity to do such a thing, he said: "There is no opportunity. There is no opportunity. How could she engage this firm? If she does, then this firm... what is their legal basis to write such a letter?

"Instead, those who do such things are contemptuous. This is contemptuous. See, there in the first paragraph – they write ‘we act on behalf of Sheikh Hasina’. Does that mean he is a lobbyist for Sheikh Hasina?

“So, if he is a lobbyist, then it is understandable that they are doing this very purposefully to make the tribunal seem controversial or stir up debate about the tribunal. So, we are not seriously taking these into consideration. We are not concerned about these at all."

Noting that the tribunal will continue its activities at its normal pace, he said: "We who are working on the prosecution do not have the opportunity to talk or think about these things, we do not have the time."