Bangladesh opens trial of deposed ex-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — A special tribunal set up to try Bangladesh's ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina began proceedings Sunday by accepting the charges against humanity filed against her in connection with a mass uprising in which hundreds of students were killed last year.
Accepting the charges, the Dhaka-based International Crimes Tribunal directed investigators to produce Hasina, a former home minister and a former police chief before the court on June 16.
Hasina has been in exile in India since Aug. 5, 2023, while former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan is missing and possibly also was in India. Former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun has been arrested. Bangladesh sent a formal request to India to extradite Hasina in December.
State-run Bangladesh Television broadcast the court proceedings live.
In an investigation report submitted on May 12, the tribunal's investigators brought five allegations of crimes against humanity against Hasina and two others during the mass uprising in July-August last year.
According to the charges, Hasina was directly responsible for ordering all state forces, her Awami League party and its associates to carry out actions that led to mass killings, injuries, targeted violence against women and children, the incineration of bodies, and denial of medical treatment to the wounded.
Three days after Hasina's ouster, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus took over as the nation's interim leader.
In February, the U.N. human rights office estimated that up to 1,400 people may have been killed in Bangladesh over three weeks in the crackdown on the student-led protests against Hasina, who ruled the country for 15 years.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
39 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Suspect posed as a gardener in Boulder attack and planned to kill all in group he called ‘Zionist'
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — A man posing as a gardener to get close to a group in Boulder holding their weekly demonstration for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza planned to kill them all with Molotov cocktails, authorities said Monday. But he had second thoughts and only threw two out of the 18 incendiary devices he had into the group of about 20 people, yelling 'Free Palestine' and accidentally burning himself, police said. Twelve people were injured in the Sunday attack. He had gas in a backpack sprayer but told investigators he didn't spray it on anyone but himself 'because he had planned on dying.' 'He said he had to do it, he should do it, and he would not forgive himself if he did not do it,' police wrote in an affidavit. He didn't carry out his full plan 'because he got scared and had never hurt anyone before.' Mohamad Sabry Soliman, 45, planned the attack for more than a year and specifically targeted what he described as a 'Zionist group,' authorities said in court papers charging him with a federal hate crime. The suspect's first name also was spelled Mohammed in some court documents. Federal and state prosecutors filed separate criminal cases against Soliman, charging him with a hate crime and attempted murder, respectively. He faces additional state charges related to the incendiary devices, and more charges are possible in federal court, where the Justice Department will seek a grand jury indictment. During a state court hearing Monday, Soliman appeared briefly via a video link from the Boulder County Jail wearing an orange jumpsuit. Another court hearing is set for Thursday. Soliman is being held on a $10 million, cash-only bond, prosecutors said. An FBI affidavit says Soliman confessed to the attack after being taken into custody Sunday and told the police he was driven by a desire 'to kill all Zionist people,' a reference to the movement to establish and protect a Jewish state in Israel. Soliman's attorney, public defender Kathryn Herold, declined to comment after the hearing. The burst of violence at the popular Pearl Street pedestrian mall in downtown Boulder unfolded against the backdrop of a war between Israel and Hamas that continues to inflame global tensions and has contributed to a spike in antisemitic violence in the United States. The attack happened on the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Shavuot and barely a week after a man who also yelled 'Free Palestine' was charged with fatally shooting two Israeli embassy staffers outside a Jewish museum in Washington. Six victims hospitalized The victims who were wounded range in age from 52 to 88, and the injuries spanned from serious to minor, officials said. All four of the latest victims had what police described as minor injuries. Six of the injured were taken to hospitals, and four have since been released, said Miri Kornfeld, a Denver-based organizer connected to the group. She said the clothing of one of those who remains hospitalized caught on fire. The volunteer group called Run For Their Lives was concluding their weekly demonstration to raise visibility for the hostages in Gaza when video from the scene shows a witness shouting, 'He's right there. He's throwing Molotov cocktails.' A police officer with his gun drawn advances on a bare-chested suspect who is holding containers in each hand. Witness Alex Osante of San Diego said he was across the pedestrian mall when he heard the crash of a bottle breaking and a 'boom' followed by people yelling and screaming. In video of the scene captured by Osante, people could be seen pouring water on a woman lying on the ground who Osante said had caught on fire during the attack. Molotov cocktails found Soliman said he dressed up like gardener with an orange vest in order to get as close to the group as possible, even purchasing flowers from Home Depot, police wrote. Osante said that after the suspect threw the two incendiary devices, apparently catching himself on fire as he threw the second, he took off his shirt and what appeared to be a bulletproof vest before the police arrived. The man dropped to the ground and was arrested without any apparent resistance in the video Osante filmed. District Attorney Michael Dougherty said 16 unused Molotov cocktails were recovered by law enforcement. The devices were made up of glass wine carafe bottles or jars with clear liquid and red rags hanging out of the them, the FBI said. Soliman told investigators he constructed homemade Molotov cocktails after doing research on YouTube and buying the ingredients. 'He stated that he had been planning the attack for a year and was waiting until after his daughter graduated to conduct the attack,' the affidavit says. Soliman also told investigators he took a concealed carry class and tried to buy a gun but was denied because he is not a legal U.S. citizen. Suspect hospitalized after attack Authorities said they believe Soliman acted alone. He was also injured and taken to a hospital. Authorities did not elaborate on the nature of his injuries, but a booking photo showed him with a large bandage over one ear. Soliman was living in the U.S. illegally after entering the country in August 2022 on a B2 visa that expired in February 2023, Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a post on the social platform X. McLaughlin said Soliman filed for asylum in September 2022 and was granted a work authorization in March 2023 that had expired. DHS did not immediately respond to requests for additional information. Soliman, who was born in Egypt, moved to Colorado Springs three years ago, where he lived with his wife and five kids, according to state court documents. He previously spent 17 years living in Kuwait. Shameka Pruiett knew Soliman and his wife as kindly neighbors with three young kids and two teenagers who'd play with Pruiett's kids. Another neighbor, Kierra Johnson, said she could often hear shouting at night from his apartment and once called police because of the screaming and yelling. On Sunday, Pruiett saw law enforcement vehicles waiting on the street throughout the day until the evening, when they spoke through a megaphone telling anyone in Soliman's home to come out. Nobody came out and it did not appear anyone was inside, said Pruiett. ___ Tucker reported from Washington. Associated Press journalists Brittany Peterson and David Zalubowski in Boulder, Colorado; Jesse Bedayn in Colorado Springs; Kimberlee Kruesi in Providence, Rhode Island; Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis; Alanna Durkin Richer and Michael Biesecker in Washington and Jim Mustian in New York contributed to this report. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
California needs to stop tying itself in knots over trans athletes and admit — men shouldn't compete against women
Instead of simply following President Trump's executive order that bans biological men from participating in women's sports, California came up with a more reductive policy. They said girls could share the podium with trans athlete AB Hernandez who, by the way, had a pretty successful Saturday at the state championships. Because Hernandez, a junior at Jurupa Valley High School, is a dude competing against chicks. As controversy swirled around Hernandez's dominant performance in high school track and field and Trump's threats to withhold federal funding, the California Interscholastic Federation tweaked its rules on Tuesday to mandate that any biological females who lost to a trans-athlete would not lose their place. Advertisement Hernandez took first in two events and second in another. For the high jump, Hernandez cleared 5 feet 7 inches with no failed attempts while his two, I guess we can call them 'co-winners,' Jillene Wetteland and Lelani Laruelle cleared the same threshold with a fail each. The three shared the first-place podium. 4 Thanks to California Interscholastic Foundation's new rule AB Hernandez shares the first platform with two female track and field athletes. AP In the triple jump, the trans athlete won while Kira Gant Hatcher, who trailed by over a half-meter, stood atop the first-place platform, again alongside Hernandez. Advertisement And yet the fact that they had to change the rules of a simple straight forward competition —whoever jumps the highest or the longest wins — to accommodate Hernandez was an admission from officials that this all was inherently ridiculous. And yes, utterly confusing. Hey, you technically lost to a biological male but here's your first-place trophy anyways because we feel bad that we are letting this dude in. Girls, like their male counterparts, are cutthroat and competitive. They want and deserve a level playing field and the chance to win fair-and-square. They shouldn't have to be told to be a good girl and make room for the person who everyone has agreed — by making the rule change — does not belong there. Why not simply comply with the ban? Instead, the governing body is twisting itself into a pretzel to accommodate trans athletes. Advertisement 4 AB Hernandez, a transgender student at Jurupa Valley High School, competes in the long jump at the California high school track-and-field championships. AP It's 2025. After years of being told that we had to remake our society and erase the female side of the gender binary in sports, jails and yes, locker rooms, or be called a transphobe, we have returned to consensus of sanity. Or at least people are finally unafraid of being canceled to simply state the obvious: biological men have a physical advantage over them. This is such a settled issue that the most recent polling shows close to 80 percent of Americans believe men do not belong in women's sports. There's also been another change. Advertisement After what I can only call a chilling absence of male voices from the sports world, we're starting to see more high-profile athletes finally speak out. Maybe because it's no longer verboten. But better late than never. Last month Aaron Rodgers told Joe Rogan that, 'the trans-woman movement is actually anti-woman…when it comes to sports. 4 Charles Barkley has spoken out against biological males in women's sports. Getty Images 'You're not seeing trans men dominating anything. It's because there's a biological difference.' Meanwhile, Sir Charles Barkley told Outkick's Dan Dakitch that he was 'gonna make this very simple for you, Dan. Men should not play sports against women. 'I don't even think that's controversial… I don't wanna hear you try to explain it to me. No, no, no, I don't wanna hear it. I'm not gonna argue with you. Men shouldn't play sports against women. I'm done,' he said. Even cuckoo progressive California Gov. Gavin Newsom — who is trying to rebrand himself as a common sense Dem — admitted it was 'deeply unfair.' Then he backed this sudden rule change. Advertisement 4 Back in February, Donald Trump signed an executive order banning trans women athletes from women's sports. AP And yet, there are many pockets of the media who are still choosing their twisted version of compassion for boys over reality. During a Friday interview with Julie Hamill, President of the California Justice Center, CNN host Brianna Keilar repeatedly called Hernandez 'her' and used the cockamamie phase, 'assigned female at birth.' A visibly annoyed Hamill corrected Keilar, noting that Hernandez is a he. Because when you strip all the pronoun charades and the fluffy terms of 'gender affirming care' we can see clearly what this issue is about: biological truth and fairness.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
RI's high-capacity magazine ban survives legal challenge
WASHINGTON (WPRI/AP) — A split Supreme Court on Monday rejected a pair of gun rights cases, though one conservative justice predicted the court would soon consider whether assault weapons bans are constitutional. The majority did not explain its reasoning in turning down the cases over high-capacity magazines and state bans on guns like the AR-15, popular weapons that have also been used in mass shootings. But three conservative justices on the nine-member court publicly noted their disagreement, and a fourth said he is skeptical that assault-weapons bans are constitutional. Justices Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch said they would have taken a case challenging Maryland's ban, and Justice Clarence Thomas wrote separately to say the law likely runs afoul of the Second Amendment. 'I would not wait to decide whether the government can ban the most popular rifle in America,' Thomas wrote. 'That question is of critical importance to tens of millions of law-abiding AR–15 owners throughout the country.' Justice Brett Kavanaugh agreed with the decision to pass on the case now but indicated that he is skeptical such bans are constitutional and that he expects the court will address the issue 'in the next term or two.' The Maryland law was passed after the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut that killed 20 children and six adults. The shooter was armed with an AR-15, one of the firearms commonly referred to as an assault weapon. Several states have similar measures, and congressional Democrats have also supported the concept. The challengers had argued that people have a constitutional right to own the firearms like the AR-15, which most gun owners use legally. The case comes nearly three years after the high court handed down a landmark ruling that expanded Second Amendment rights and spawned challenges to firearm laws around the country. Ten states and the District of Columbia have similar laws, covering major cities like New York and Los Angeles. Congress allowed a national assault weapons ban to expire in 2004. The gun control group Everytown Law applauded the high court's action, saying the measures make communities safer. 'We will fight to ensure the courts continue to uphold these life-saving laws,' said Janet Carter, managing director of Second Amendment litigation. More than twice as many people died in mass shootings in which large-capacity magazines and assault weapons were used between 2015 and 2022, the group said. Attorneys for Maryland argued the guns aren't protected by the Constitution because they're similar to military-grade weapons. The law bans dozens of firearms — including the AR-15, the AK-47 and the Barrett .50-caliber sniper rifle — and puts a 10-round limit on gun magazines. The gun rights group Second Amendment Foundation said it has seven other cases challenging the bans and plans to continue to 'aggressively litigate' them. 'Millions of Americans continue to be disenfranchised from exercising their complete Second Amendment rights by virtue of these categorical bans,' Executive Director Adam Kraut said. The high court also rebuffed a bid to overturn state bans on high-capacity gun magazines in a case out of Rhode Island. Thomas, Alito and Gorsuch said they would have heard the case. More than a dozen states have similar laws limiting the amount of ammunition a magazine can hold. Thomas and Kavanaugh have previously expressed skepticism about assault weapon bans. As an appeals court judge in 2011, Kavanaugh wrote a dissent saying that a similar measure in Washington, D.C., was unconstitutional. Thomas, meanwhile, dissented in 2015 when the Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to a municipal ban on AR-15-style weapons, writing that the 'overwhelming majority' of people who owned the weapons used them for lawful purposes like self-defense. The high court in 2022 handed down a ruling that expanded gun rights and told lower-court judges they should no longer consider factors like public safety in deciding whether firearm laws are constitutional. Instead, they should focus on whether a law fits into the nation's historic tradition of gun ownership, the court said. That led to a flurry of challenges to gun laws around the country, multiple restrictions struck down, and confusion among lower-court judges over what gun laws can stay on the books. Since then, the Supreme Court has overturned a ban on rapid-fire gun accessories called bump stocks but upheld a law barring people under domestic-violence restraining orders from having guns and regulations on nearly untraceable ghost guns. Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said in a statement he's grateful the Supreme Court did not overturn the high-capacity magazine ban. 'My office has always fought to ensure that we have common sense gun laws on the books to keep Rhode Islanders safe,' Neronha said, adding that the Supreme Court's decision allows his office to 'continue that mission without interruption.' 'The law in question, the state's ban on possession of large-capacity magazines, as well as other gun safety laws are working – and working well – to prevent gun deaths and hold accountable those who commit gun crimes,' he continued. 'Just last year, my office charged more than 300 cases involving large-capacity magazines of 11 rounds or higher, undoubtedly preventing and deterring gun violence in the process.' Neronha said he hopes this will inspire state lawmakers to pass the proposed assault-style weapons ban, which the Rhode Island General Assembly will be voting on Tuesday. 'Every life has meaning – every person has hopes, dreams, family, and friends, all of which shatter when we lose someone to gun violence,' Neronha said. 'One life lost to gun violence is one too many.' Download the and apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch or with the new . Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
