The United States has reiterated its support for the ongoing war crimes trials but emphasised that the trials must be free, fair and transparent meeting the international standards. “As we said at the time of first verdict of Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal, the United States supports bringing to justice those who commit atrocities,” Patrick Ventrell, acting deputy spokesperson of the Sate Department told the regular press briefing in Washington on Thursday when asked for comments on the verdict against Jamaat-e-Islami leader Mohammad Kamaruzzaman. “We believe that any such trial must be free, fair and transparent in accordance with international standards that Bangladesh has agreed to uphold through its ratification of international agreements including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,” he said.
“So we look to the Government of Bangladesh to ensure the safety of all of its citizens and encourage all Bangladeshis to peacefully express their views. And while engaging in peaceful protest is a fundamental democratic right, we firmly believe violence is never the answer,” he added.
Asked if US believed that this particular trial was fair and transparent and met US standards, Ventrell said, “I don’t think I’m in a position to address each and every individual trial, but that’s the broad frame that we are making very clear to the Bangladeshis.
Again when asked if he agreed with the view of opposition party that the trials were politically motivated, the official said, “The people who are expressing their views should do so in a peaceful manner and we encourage a free and transparent process.”
The press briefing also featured the Savar tragedy and the fire at garment factory in Mirpur on Thursday night.
About the fire at the Mirpur factory, the spokesperson said, “Although I have seen the news reports I don’t have an update on that but we are very clear about the tragic situation.”
He pointed out to the media note issued on Wednesday that talked about a meeting hosted between the State Department, the Department of Labour, US trade representative, US buyers in Bangladesh and their partnering garment industry to discuss US Government engagement in this matter.
“So we continue to engage at the Assistant Secretary level, at the ambassadorial level, not only with American buyers in the country, but directly with the Government of Bangladesh. This is something we’ve placed a priority on and we will continue to do so,” he added.
To another question, Ventrell said, “The point is that we want them to meet the codes so that they can provide safety for the workers.”
-With The Independent input
