The High Court on Thursday scrapped a Dhaka Cyber Tribunal’s verdict that jailed noted human rights defender and former Odhikar secretary Adilur Rahman Khan and ASM Nasiruddin Elan for two years in a case related to alleged violation of now defunct Information and Communication Technology Act 2006.

The single judge bench of Justice Abdur Rob pronounced the verdict after allowing the appeals filed by Adilur, who is now industries and housing ministers’ adviser of the interim government of Professor Muhammad Yunus, and Elan challenging the Cyber Tribunal’s verdict of September 14, 2023.

Adilur and Elan were jailed for two years for a fact-finding report on the violence during Hefazat-e-Islam demonstrations in Dhaka and overnight operations against the protesters in May 2013.

The then cyber tribunal’s judge AM Julfikar Hayat also fined Adil and Elan Tk 10,000 each in the case filed with the Gulshan police in 2013 under Section 57(2) of the ICT.

On October 15, 2023, the single bench of Justice Md Emdadul Haque Azad granted Adil and Elan bail for one year and admitted to their appeal for hearing and the two rights defenders released on bail after 30 days in languishing in the jail.

The High Court stayed the fine until disposal of the appeal.

On August 10 in 2013, the Detective Branch of police arrested Adilur and Elan under section 54 of the Penal code, for his involvement in anti-state activities and he was later implicated in the ICT case.

Adil and Elan were later released on bail granted by the High Court in October 2013.

The United Nations right bodies, European Union, citizen rights groups and human rights activists in home and abroad condemned the jail sentence of internationally acclaimed human rights defender Adilur and demanded their release immediately.

Lawyer Mohammad Ruhul Amin Bhuiyan and his junior Mohammad Ahsanuzzaman appeared for the two rights defenders while additional attorney general Aneek R Haque represented the government.