NEW DELHI: 30 Human rights activists, academicians from across the world wrote a letter to Professor Yunus urging him to release Bangladeshi human rights activist/journalist Shahriar Kabir.
Shahriar Kabir was unlawfully arrested under the Yunus-led interim government in Bangladesh.
"We write as human rights activists and human rights defenders across Europe and beyond to express our deepest concern regarding the arrest of Shahriar Kabir, a reputed freelance journalist in Bangladesh, a documentary filmmaker, a writer, a humanist, and above all - an uncompromising human rights activist for secularism,’’ wrote the 30 signatories in a letter addressed to Professor Yunus.
Within a week of the new regime, on 15 September, 73-year-old Shahriar Kabir was arrested from his home on a fictitious political case.
"We condemn the way in which Kabir has been implicated in the case and was arrested from his home without proper legal investigation. Shahriar Kabir has been accused of crimes against humanity and genocide, who himself had been prominently vocal all his life against international crimes taking place in any corner of the world," the letter states.
Kabir was physically attacked by a mob following his arrest. He was denied a wheelchair while in custody. He was remanded to judicial custody for a week. Many fear the police might torture him while in custody.
The activists have urged that he be released, basic amenities like wheelchair and medical treatment be facilitated, and there be respect for international human rights law.
The 30 signatories include Paulo Casaca (Portugal). Taril Gunersel (Turkey), Dr Helen Jarvis (Cambodia), Mona Haghgou Strindberg (Sweden), Prof Rafal Pankowski (Poland), Natalia Sineaeva (Poland), Christ Blackburn (UK), Rene Liebenthal (Argentina), Jami Aslam (Switerzland), Dusan Gojkov (Greece), Tapas Das (India), Dr Rayhan Rashid (UK), Banafsheh Zand (Iran), Nicholas Kawinga (Zambia), Matthew Johnsen (USA), Vladimir Bogdanic (Croatia), Sanjob Bharatia (India), Zeynep Oral (Turkey), Dr Gregory H Stanton, Sirajum Munira, Dipak Chakraborty, Jamil Maqsood, GH Boehringer (Australia), Bidit Dey (UK), Sabbir Khan (Sweden), Dr Tommaso Virgili (Germany), Afsana Kishwar (Canada), Taslima Nasrin, Dr Ahmed Ziauddin (Belgium) and Dr Norwin Tamanna (UK).