Repeal Bangladesh Digital Security Act – demands Amnesty
Bangladeshi authorities must end the crackdown on right to freedom of expression online and urgently repeal or amend the draconian Digital Security Act (DSA), Amnesty International said in a new briefing released on Monday.
Introduced in October 2018, the DSA – a law that contains overbroad and vague provisions granting authorities extensive powers – is increasingly being used to stifle dissent online, with punishments that can extend to life imprisonment.
The briefing, No space for dissent: Bangladesh’s Crackdown on Freedom of Expression Online, examines cases under the DSA against 10 people who have been subjected to a wide range of human rights violations simply for criticising powerful people on social media.