Crackdown on satire is an attack on free expression, says ARTICLE 19

ARTICLE 19, an international human rights organisation, has strongly condemned the filing of a criminal case against 18 individuals, the satirical platform Earki, and at least 15 Facebook pages over allegations of “cyber harassment.”

The case was filed on 1 December by Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (Ducsu) Vice President Abu Shadik Kayem, who accused several online platforms of cyberbullying and defaming female student leaders.

“We urge the union vice president to withdraw the case, and call on the Bangladesh government to protect freedom of expression online,” ARTICLE 19 said in a statement issued on 9 December.

The statement emphasised that satire, memes, cartoons, and critical commentary—whether humorous, political, or institutional—are fully protected under Article 39 of the Constitution of Bangladesh and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which Bangladesh has ratified.

ARTICLE 19 further noted that international free-speech standards make it clear that criminal sanctions should never be used to silence satire or criticism of public officials.

“The criminalisation of content-based expression is disproportionate, unnecessary, and incompatible with democratic norms. It risks creating a chilling effect across the digital civic space, leading to widespread self-censorship among journalists, artists, satirists, and citizens,” the organisation warned.

Expressing concern, ARTICLE 19 stated that this case contradicts the democratic aspirations and public demands for freedom that emerged from the mass uprising of July 2024, as well as the interim government's commitments to safeguard fundamental rights, restore civic space, and prevent misuse of digital laws.

“Student leaders—particularly those in senior institutional positions—must demonstrate restraint and uphold democratic values, rather than using criminal law as a tool of intimidation,” the statement added.

ARTICLE 19 called for the immediate withdrawal of the case against all the online platforms, including Earki, and urged authorities to prevent the continued misuse of cybercrime, defamation, and harassment laws against satire and online expression.

The organisation expressed solidarity with the targeted platforms, cartoonists, satirists, and digital creators who continue to exercise their right to free expression despite the rising threat of criminal prosecution.

The complaint filed by Ducsu Vice President Kayem listed nine pages and accounts, including Ducsu Konthoshor, BongoGraph, Amar DUCSU, The Nationalist Data, Katherkella, Roumari, DU Insiders (under several page names), Earki, and BotGPT, along with three personal profiles: Enamul Haque Shanto, Ashiqur Rahman, and Saif Al Mahmud.

Following widespread criticism, Kayem later removed the name of the satire page “Earki” from the complaint.