UN rights chief slams Bangladesh drug war

The UN rights chief today condemned the recent killing of more than 100 alleged drug dealers in Bangladesh, insisting that extra-judicial killings cannot be justified in the fight against narcotics.

Some 130 people have reportedly been shot dead by Bangladeshi security forces since May 15 and another 15,000 arrested in the Philippines-style crackdown aimed to halt the spread of methamphetamine and other illegal drugs.

"I am gravely concerned that such a large number of people have been killed," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said in a statement.

He also voiced concern about government reaction, which "has been to assure the public that none of these individuals were 'innocent".

"Such statements are dangerous and indicative of a total disregard for the rule of law," he said. "People do not lose their human rights because they use or sell drugs."
The rights commissioner stressed that "the presumption of innocence and the right to due process must be at the forefront of any efforts to tackle crime."