The Right Honourable Khaleda Zia
Prime Minister of Bangladesh
Old Sangsad Bhaban
Tejgoan, Dhaka

December 2, 2002

Your Excellency,

I write on behalf of Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE), a non-profit, non-governmental organization working to promote and defend free expression and press freedom in Canada and around the world.

CJFE is dismayed at the arrest on November 25 of a four-member television crew filming a report on the political situation in your country.

According to our information, British journalist Zaiba Malik, Italian cameraman Bruno Sorrentino, and two local aides were arrested as they sought to cross the border into India.

They appeared in a Dhaka court on November 26, when they were charged with "anti-state activities" and remanded in custody for another five days. Today, we learned that they were denied bail and returned to jail.

On November 29, journalist Saleem Samad was also arrested for having assisted Malik and Sorrentino. Another journalist was arrested on November 28 in Chittagong for the same reason, bringing to six the number of people currently detained in connection with the case.

CJFE believes that this unconscionable process places your country in an extremely unfavourable position with regard to journalists, media and advocates of press freedom world-wide.

We respectfully remind Your Excellency of the numerous international conventions on freedom of expression, along with the position of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, which has called such detentions "a grave violation of human rights."

We strongly urge Your Excellency to use your influence to have the journalists released from jail immediately, to have the charges against them dropped, and to affirm your country's commitment to freedom of expression.

Sincerely,