BANGLADESHI JOURNALIST'S SEDITION TRIAL POSTPONED

C O N F I D E N T I A L DHAKA 000717 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/01/2017 TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL BG SUBJECT: BANGLADESHI JOURNALIST'S SEDITION TRIAL POSTPONED UNTIL JUNE REF: DHAKA 681 Classified By: Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Dundas McCullough; reason 1.4(d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. The start of the sedition trial of Bangladeshi journalist Salahuddin Shoaib Choudhury was postponed again, this time until June 23. Choudhury also received two phone calls on April 30, one from Police Special Branch and one from an officer with military intelligence. END SUMMARY. ANOTHER POSTPONEMENT IN SEDITION TRIAL ====================================== ¶2. (SBU) The start of the sedition trial of Bangladeshi journalist Salahuddin Shoaib Choudhury was postponed again, this time until June 23 (reftel). The reason was because the hearing on a dismissal petition filed with the High Court Appellate Division has yet to be scheduled. STRANGE PHONE CALL NUMBER ONE ============================= ¶3. (C) Meanwhile, on April 30 Choudhury contacted POLOFF to express concern over two phone calls the day before. The first call was from someone claiming to be a journalist with the national newspaper Daily Jugantor. Choudhury was not available, so his wife took the call on his cellphone. Choudhury later called the number back and instead of getting a journalist, reached a "Mr. Kamrul" of the Police Special Branch. STRANGE PHONE CALL NUMBER TWO ============================= ¶4. (C) Later that evening, Choudhury received another call, this one from an officer with the Directorate General-Forces Intelligence (DGFI),the military intelligence branch. The caller told Choudhury the Home Ministry had asked for a report on him to clarify several points. These included: Choudhury is director of an Israeli-government funded organization; "despite continuous repression of the people of Palestine" he openly supports relations between Bangladesh and Israel; his newspaper is a "mouthpiece of Jews and Israel"; he is involved in "Zionist and terrorist activities"; and he is affiliated with "Islamist militancy...like Jamaatul Mujahadin Bangladesh (JMB)". Choudhury has said in the past that he has good contacts within DGFI who support getting his case dismissed. ROGUE ACT OR STEP BACKWARDS? ============================ ¶5. (C) Since the state of emergency was declared on January 11, numerous journalists have received aggressive phone calls from DGFI, and DGFI "handlers" have been assigned to particular reporters. However, up until now Shoaib has not been a target. It is uncertain whether this is an uncoordinated, rogue action, or if it represents an effort within the military or Home Ministry to prevent dismissal of the case. POST TO FOLLOW UP ================= ¶6. (C) Post will continue to keep in close contact with Choudhury, and raise this issue with Home Ministry and other government officials. BUTENIS