Refer July Massacre case to ICC, rename ICT, Cadman tells Yunus
Toby Cadman, Special Adviser to the Chief Prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), urged Bangladesh’s interim government to refer the July-August 2024 massacre case to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.
The recommendation came during a meeting with Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at the State Guest House Jamuna on Thursday, March 6.
Cadman, an expert in international criminal law with experience in Bosnia, Kosovo, Rwanda, Yemen, Syria, and Ukraine, discussed justice and cooperation with Yunus.
The meeting delved into Bangladesh’s potential partnership with the ICC, focusing on international cooperation to hold perpetrators accountable.
Cadman stressed the need for this approach, noting that some fugitive suspects are sheltered by foreign states, necessitating ICC involvement for full justice.
Discussions opened with the ICT’s progress and challenges in prosecuting crimes from the Sheikh Hasina era, particularly the July-August student movement atrocities.
Cadman, head of G37 Chambers, proposed renaming the ICT and revising its legal framework to distance it from past authoritarian associations. Topics included abolishing the death penalty, enhancing evidence rules, and ensuring due process. Yunus lauded the ICT prosecution team, emphasising, “We must uphold the highest international justice standards to guarantee fair trials and accountability.”
Yunus indicated a decision on referring the July massacre to the ICC is imminent. “The world must know who ordered the deaths of 1,400 students, protesters, and workers in the July uprising and who executed it,” he said. “The UN fact-finding mission has revealed the truth—now we must ensure justice.”
The meeting also addressed funding the tribunal, protecting witnesses, ensuring fair trials, and maintaining transparency. Legal steps to recover assets looted during Hasina’s tenure were explored. Yunus concluded by gifting Cadman Art of Triumph: Graffiti of Bangladesh’s New Dawn, symbolizing the nation’s hope and resistance.
