Kate McInnes instructed in death penalty case to represent former Bangladeshi MP charged with crimes against humanity

Thom Dyke (Deka Chambers, United Kingdom) and Kate McInnes (Arendt Chambers, Canada) have been instructed as international counsel to represent former Bangladeshi MP, A.B.M. Fazle Karim Chowdhury, in proceedings before International Crimes Tribunal in Dhaka.

Mr Chowdhury is charged alongside 22 others with crimes against humanity, in connection with the killing of protestors during the July Uprising in 2024, for which he denies any responsibility. He has been detained for over two years, and if convicted faces the death penalty.

The International Crimes Tribunal was originally established in order to try suspects accused of crimes committed during Bangladesh’s war of independence in 1971. The court has been widely criticised for failing to uphold basic fair trial rights, by groups including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International.

Mr Chowdhury was born in 1954 and served five terms as an MP in Bangladesh, during which time he served as President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union’s Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians, where he was involved in the protection of parliamentarians facing detention and violations of their rights.

Thom and Kate have been instructed as international counsel to work alongside Mr Chowdhury’s domestic legal team. Their role is to provide advice and representation in matters concerning international criminal and human rights law and procedure, and to engage with international mechanisms and stakeholders to highlight concerns about Mr Chowdhury’s right to a fair trial and the conditions of his detention, including his access to healthcare and his legal team.

Thom and Kate have extensive experience providing advice and representation in the field of international criminal and human rights law. They have successfully represented individuals, governments, and NGOs in courts around the world, and have an established track record of using their combined legal and strategic expertise to secure favourable outcomes for their clients.