URGENT ACTION from Amnesty International
PUBLIC Amnesty International Index: ASA 13/008/2007
10 July
2007
UA 178/07 Health Concern
BANGLADESH: Mrs.Sigma Huda
A UN special rapporteur on people-trafficking, Sigma Huda, was arrested
on 5
July in connection with a case of alleged extortion. She reportedly has
potentially life-threatening heart and kidney conditions, and is not getting
adequate treatment in prison.
Sigma Huda is a prominent lawyer, head
of the human rights group Bangladesh
Society for the Enforcement of Human
Rights, and the UN Special Rapporteur on
trafficking in persons, especially
in women and children.
According to a senior consultant in cardiology,
she is suffering from coronary
heart disease, diabetes mellitus and a
chronic renal (kidney) failure. It is
also known that Sigma Huda has
diabetes, for which she is receiving long-term
treatment.
She was
under treatment and observation when she was taken into custody. She
was
taken to court in an ambulance, and to the courtroom on a stretcher, to
hear
the charges against her. She was then sent to jail custody on 5 July.
Her family are concerned that she is in poor health and at risk of
developing
further medical complications due to lack of specialist medical
attention. She
has not even been transferred to the jail hospital, and the
prison authorities
have ignored her family's urgent requests to visit her.
There are serious concerns that her health may deteriorate further if
she does
not receive adequate medical attention. According to a report from
a senior
consultant in cardiology, who treated Sigma Huda before her arrest:
"It may be
stressed that her conditions will deteriorate significantly and
may be
life-threatening if she is not kept under constant medical
observation and
treatment at a specialised cardiac care
unit."
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
A state of emergency was declared in
Bangladesh on 11 January 2007 under which
the government has initiated
action to control criminal activity and address
corruption. According to
local newspaper reports, over 100,000 people accused
of threatening law and
order through either involvement in criminal activity or
possession of
illegal firearms, or corruption, have been arrested. Amnesty
International
has received allegations of torture or ill-treatment following
such arrests.
The detainees include over 150 politicians, businessmen and
others accused
of involvement in extortion and other acts of corruption.
According to
reports in the Bangladeshi media, the authorities have admitted
that some of
the detainees are in poor health.