Amnesty Int'l condemns Mahfuza's arrest
Bangladeshi authorities must immediately and unconditionally release international football governing body FIFA's council member Mahfuza Akhter Kiron, who faces two years behind bars simply for exercising her right to freedom of expression, Amnesty International said today in a press release.
Mahfuza Akhter Kiron, who is also chairperson of Bangladesh Football Federation's women's wing, was arrested from her home in Dhaka's Dhanmondi area on Saturday. She is facing defamation charges for accusing Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of favouring cricket over football, and was denied bail by a Dhaka court.
"Championing football is not a crime. Mahfuza was merely exercising her right to freedom of expression. If the implications of a defamation case were not so serious, it would be laughable. Mahfuza Akther Kiron must be released immediately and unconditionally," said Saad Hammadi, South Asia Campaigner at Amnesty International.
He added, "The crackdown on freedom of expression is one of the main reasons why Bangladesh's image has been tainted globally. As long as these arrests continue, and these repressive laws remain in force, Bangladesh will be unable to claim its place as a rising economy that upholds human rights.”
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