Urgent Action: Human Rights Defender Threatened With Violence (Bangladesh: UA 131.17)

Prominent human rights defender Sultana Kamal has received threats of violence from the Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam, following comments she made on a TV talk show. The authorities must take immediate steps to ensure Sultana Kamal’s protection, investigate the threats made against her and hold those responsible to account.

1) TAKE ACTION
Write a letter, send an email, call, fax or tweet:

• Take immediate action to ensure the safety of Sultana Kamal, in coordination with her wishes;
• Conduct a thorough, impartial, independent and effective investigation into the threats made against Sultana Kamal and bring those against whom sufficient admissible evidence of criminal wrongdoing exists to justice in trials which meet international standards of fairness;
• Ensure that human rights defenders are able to carry out peaceful activities without fear of surveillance, intimidation, harassment, arrest, prosecution or retribution, and guarantee the integrity of human rights defenders, including against attacks or threats coming from non-state groups.

Contact these two officials by 19 July, 2017:

Inspector General of Police AKM
Shahidul Hoque
Police Headquarters
Phoenix Road
Fulbaria 1000 Dhaka
Email: [email protected]
Fax: +880 2 9563 362
Dear Inspector General

Ambassador Mohammad Ziauddin, Embassy of Bangladesh
3510 International Drive NW
Washington DC 20008
Fax: 202 244 2771 -OR- 202 244 7830
Phone: 202 244 0183
Contact form: http://www.bdembassyusa.org/index.php?page=contact
Salutation: Dear Ambassador

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