CONTROVERSIAL JOURNALIST FILES SUIT AGAINST "JMB

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DHAKA 006305 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/16/2016 TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM BG SUBJECT: CONTROVERSIAL JOURNALIST FILES SUIT AGAINST "JMB JUDGES" REF: A. A. DHAKA 06225 ¶B. B. DHAKA 06257 ¶C. C. DHAKA 06261 ¶D. C. DHAKA 06263 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires a.i. Geeta Pasi; reason 1.4(d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. On October 16, journalist Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury updated us on his recent suit against the government to remove "JMB judges" from the bench, his sedition case, and the status of his case against his alleged attackers on October 5. Choudhury also provided the names of government officials he claimed are against him. END SUMMARY. -------------- New Writ Petition Against "JMB Judges" -------------- ¶2. (C) POLOFF called journalist Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury on October 16 for an update on his situation. Choudhury said that he had filed a "writ petition" with the court suing the government to remove "JMB judges" from the bench. He said that before providing the list to the Embassy (as we had requested),he wanted to make sure the information was "100 percent verified." POLOFF asked why he would file a case against the judges before verifying the information. Choudhury replied that the writ only mentioned two names, but that they would be filing supplementary petitions as the information is verified. Choudhury said that the intelligence services had visited his lawyer's office regarding the writ. He said that this was "a good thing," noting it meant the GOB was "taking this seriously." -------------- Sedition Case -------------- ¶3. (C) Choudhury said that his lawyer was filing a petition with the High Court to have the sedition charges against him "quashed." He said that the High Court's review of the case could take two to three years. However, he expected the High Court to decide whether it will take the case before November 13, the date when the hearing of witnesses in the sedition case is scheduled to begin. Once the High Court agrees to review the case, all lower court proceedings will be suspended. Choudhury was optimistic they would agree to hear the case. -------------- October 5 Attack -------------- ¶4. (C) According to Choudhury, the case he filed against the people he says attacked him on October 5 is being investigated by the Criminal Investigations Division (CID). CID will complete the investigation "soon" with a recommendation to the Court whether to initiate a case. He confirmed CID is providing him periodic updates. ¶5. (C) Choudhury said State Minister for Home Affairs Lutfozzoman Babar called him two days ago. Babar asked him for copies of the deeds and other property records for the purchase of his office space in the CMV Building. According to Choudhury, Babar also told him his alleged attacker, Hilaluddin Khan, had denied involvement in the incident. Choudhury said he reacted strongly to Babar, accusing him of trying to justify Khan's actions. Babar then informed Choudhury that he had ordered the police commissioner to undertake an "independent investigation" of the whole incident and that the final report was due to Babar by 1500 hrs on October 16. ¶6. (C) With regard to Babar's role, Choudhury said "he is now investigating, but he was trying to justify Hilaluddin's actions before." Choudhury said he had been in "occasional" contact with Babar since he was released from prison in April ¶2005. (Note: REF D provides the Home Minister's version of the relationship.) ¶7. (C) Choudhury said he was resuming work on his paper out of his printing press offices since his offices in the CMV Building were padlocked. He said he did not want to break the padlocks because it would be "breaking the law" and he didn't want to create grounds for further charges against him. When POLOFF asked who padlocked the doors, Choudhury replied it was his attackers, Hilaluddin Khan and his brother Mahbubul Khan (REF A). When asked why they would padlock the doors if this were a politically motivated attack, Choudhury DHAKA 00006305 002 OF 002 said, "They stole computers and things, and didn't want anyone to find out." ¶8. (C) Choudhury called later on October 16 to report that "press contacts" had just informed him that the police officer in charge of the Shahbagh Police Station, against whom Choudhury filed charges, along with Khan and others, had broken the padlocks to the doors of his office and were currently packing up the office contents. Embassy has not verified this independently. -------------- "Enemies in the Government" -------------- ¶9. (C) Choudhury e-mailed POLOFF on October 14 that "influential figures in the government and ruling party" were putting pressure on the CID not to investigate his case against his alleged October 5 attackers. Broadly condemning the ruling coalition, Choudhury specifically identified four people as his "enemies in the government": Tariq Rahman, Senior Deputy President of the BNP and son of the Prime Minister; Motiur Rahman Nizami, Minister of Industry and Jamaat Islami's top leader; Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed, Minister of Social Welfare and Jamaat Islami secretary general; and M. Morshed Khan, Foreign Minister. Choudhury alleged that Foreign Minister Khan was the most anti-Israel government official, and hated Choudhury for his advocacy on behalf of Israel. -------------- Comment -------------- ¶9. (SBU) The good news is that Choudhury is optimistic that his sedition trial, the most sensitive of his legal cases, may be dropped or effectively deferred for a long period of time. We will continue to maintain close contact with him and monitor the progress of all of his cases, including his sedition trial. PASI