AMBASSADOR URGES GOVERNMENT TO RETURN JOURNALIST'S

C O N F I D E N T I A L DHAKA 000803

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/16/2017
TAGS: PHUM PGOV BG
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR URGES GOVERNMENT TO RETURN JOURNALIST'S
PASSPORT

Classified By: Ambassador Patricia Butenis, reason para 1.4 d.


1. (C) Summary. The Ambassador is pressing senior government
officials to allow journalist Tasneem Khalil and family to
travel to mitigate the negative international reaction to his
case. End Summary.


2. (C) Early May 11, security officials (apparently from the
military intelligence organization DGFI) arrested Tasneem
Khalil, a journalist with the Daily Star newspaper who has
done freelance work for CNN and Human Rights Watch. After
consulting with Daily Star editor Mahfuz Anam and others, the
Ambassador called Fahim Munaim, press secretary to Chief
Adviser Ahmed and a former Daily Star editor, to express our
concerns about his arrest and especially indications that
Khalil was being scrutinized in part because of his contacts
with western embassies. We were also in direct and indirect
contact with DGFI to signal our interest and press for proper
treatment for Khalil.


3. (C) Khalil was released late May 11 after Anam agreed to
issue a statement saying that Khalil's detention had nothing
to do with his journalism but with Khalil's blog and two
anti-military text messages from his cell phone. Khalil,
although invited, did not attend the previously scheduled May
13 reception hosted by the Ambassador in honor of journalists
as part of her farewell activities; in remarks delivered at
the reception and reported in the next day's press, the
Ambassador noted, as part of her defense of a vigorous, free
press, the chilling affect of arbitrary detention and our
hope that such instances involving journalists would remain
the exception and not become the rule.


4. (C) On May 14, Anam (protect) told the Ambassador that,
contrary to initial reports, Khalil had been beaten in
custody and now, fearing for his life, wanted to travel
abroad with his wife and six-month-old daughter. On May 15,
two Dhaka-based expatriates who do consulting work for Human
Rights Watch confirmed to us that Khalil and family are in
hiding in a safe location but want to leave Bangladesh as
soon as possible. They asked that the USG pressure the
government to return the passports of Khalil and his wife to
allow them to travel. The Ambassador, in a subsequent phone
call with press secretary Munaim, urged the government to
release the passports and allow Khalil to travel.


5. (C) On May 16, on the margins of the visit to Dhaka of
USARPAC General Brown, the Ambassador raised Khalil's
situation with Chief of Army Staff Moeen. She noted his
detention generated great concern in the USG, stressed the
importance of treating Khalil fairly and lawfully, our
particular concern if Khalil were being penalized for
engaging with U.S. and other diplomats, that what the
government views as sedition may be seen by many others as
free speech, and that allowing Khalil and family to travel
abroad might serve the government's long-term interests.


6. (C) Moeen replied that Khalil was not being investigated
because of his diplomatic contacts but for criminal acts such
as sending money abroad through irregular channels, which he
called "money laundering," and sending a film he made to the
U.S. containing seditious allegations about Bangladesh. He
indicated formal charges are being prepared against Khalil,
but when pressed by the Ambassador, agreed to revisit the
issue.


7. (C) Comment: We will continue to raise this case with
senior government officials, including a top DGFI official on
May 17 and we expect with the Foreign Affairs Adviser next
week.
BUTENIS