Atheist Bangladeshi Bloggers Being Prosecuted for “Defaming Islam and the Prophet Mohammed”

Agence France Press reports:

“They have been indicted… with defaming Islam, the Prophet Mohammed and other religions through their Internet writings. They spread malice against all religions,” [Judge Zahirul Haque] said.

[Prosecutor Shah Alam] Talukdar said if found guilty the bloggers, who are free on bail, could be sentenced to seven years in jail under the country’s ICT (Information Communication Technology) laws.

“All four have claimed to be atheists,” he added….

[An Anti-Islam blogger was murdered] amid massive rallies in the capital in which secular groups demanded the hanging of leading Islamists accused of war crimes during the 1971 war of liberation.

Islamist groups have since staged nationwide demonstrations, with their demands including the prosecution — and execution — of atheist bloggers….

I posted about the arrests in the case earlier this year. Thanks to Prof. Howard Friedman (Religion Clause) for the pointer.

Powered by WordPress. Designed by Woo Themes