DHAKA: The International Crimes Tribunal-1 deferred till November 4 to pass an order n contempt charge against the two journalists of The Economist for interfering in the ongoing ICT trial and violating the privacy of a judge.

ICT-1 led by ATM Fazle Kabir passed the deferment order Thursday.

Earlier on August 27, the tribunal set September 26 to pass an order in connection with its notice upon the chief editor and South Asia bureau chief of The Economist, to explain why actions would not be taken against them for interfering in the ongoing war crimes trial.

In the hearing, lawyer for the journalists Mustafizur Rahman said his clients did not do anything contemptuous by making contact over phone with the tribunal’s former chairman.

The lawyer, however, admitted that the journalists should have make contact with the judge through registrar of the tribunal which is the proper way.

On December 6 in 2012, ICT-1 issued the show cause notice to two journalists of the British weekly.

The then ICT-1 Chairman Justice Nizamul Huq said he had regular conversations with international war crimes specialist Ahmed Ziauddin, who resides in Brussels, on the war crimes trial over e-mail and Skype.

Recently, he found out that his and Ziauddin’s email and Skype account got hacked. Later Nizamul Huq received a phone call from a person who claimed himself as a journalist from ‘The Economist’.

The journalist said that they have all the records of the conversation between Nizamul Huq and Ziauddin.

The caller also wanted to know about the current position of the trial in ICT, Nizamul Huq added.

ICT-1 passed the order saying no one can ask a presiding judge about an ongoing trial in his court and it is a serious offence.

The tribunal also directed the Economist not to publish the record in any circumstances.

In its order, the tribunal said a copy of this order should be served to inspector general of police for probe into the matter.

On December 11 of last year, Justice Nizamul Haque resigned as the chairman of the ICT-1 soon after published a news item over his Skype conversation.

BDST: 1407 HRS, SEP 26, 2013
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