Recently, a video has been circulated on the social media platform Facebook, claiming that Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been acquitted from 9 cases filed at the International Criminal Court. The post further claims that she was acquitted because Bangladesh’s legal department failed to provide any supporting evidence in the case.
Watch such videos circulated on Facebook here, here (Archive), here (Archive), here (Archive)
See the Instagram post spreading the same claim: Here
Fact-check
Rumor Scanner team’s investigation revealed that the claim of Sheikh Hasina being acquitted in 9 cases filed at the International Criminal Court is not true. No information was found regarding any cases filed against her in that court. In reality, a video of the Swiss Confederation submitting a written report to the International Court of Justice, highlighting the legal aspects of Israel’s prolonged occupation of Palestine, has been circulated with the discussed claim.
At the start of the investigation, Rumor Scanner reviewed the mentioned video. Although the title of the video claims it was from the International Criminal Court, a closer look at the courtroom scene at the beginning of the video shows that the desk bears the inscription “International Court of Justice.” This confirms that the video is not from the International Criminal Court but rather from the International Court of Justice. However, both courts are located in The Hague, Netherlands.
Based on available data, a video titled “Israel Set Up ‘Coercive Environment’ In Palestine, Says Switzerland At ICJ | Dawn News English” was found on the YouTube channel of Pakistani English media Dawn News English, published on February 24, 2024.
Upon review, it was found that many portions of this video exactly match the video being circulated. However, the video is in English translation. The detailed description of the video reveals that it features a man named Franz Perrez presenting Switzerland’s oral statement in an advisory hearing on the legal consequences of Israel’s policies and practices. While Perrez acknowledge Israel’s legitimate security concerns, he also emphasized its obligations under international law and reiterated the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination. He also urged both parties to comply with international law.
Furthermore, a keyword search did not yield any information from domestic or international media sources regarding any cases filed against Sheikh Hasina or involving her at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Later, Rumor Scanner investigated the alleged 9 cases filed against Sheikh Hasina at the International Court of Justice by reviewing the official website of the ICJ. Upon review, no such cases were found in the list of pending or ongoing cases.
It is worth mentioning that during the anti-discrimination student-public movement in Bangladesh in July–August, Barrister Md. Ashraful Arefin of ‘Three Bolt Court Chambers’ submitted a request for an investigation to the International Criminal Court concerning crimes against humanity and genocide allegedly committed by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. However, this is not an actual case.
Conclusion
Therefore, the claim that Sheikh Hasina has been acquitted from 9 alleged cases filed at the International Criminal Court is completely false.
Sources
- Dawn News English YouTube Channel: Israel Set Up ‘Coercive Environment’ In Palestine, Says Switzerland At ICJ
- International Court of Justice Website
- Dhaka Post: শেখ হাসিনার বিরুদ্ধে আন্তর্জাতিক অপরাধ আদালতে তদন্তের আবেদন
- Rumor Scanner’s Analysis
