Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is currently in self-exile, has been sentenced to six months in prison by the country’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in a contempt of court case, officials confirmed on Wednesday.

The sentence was handed down in absentia, marking the first conviction against Hasina among several legal cases filed since she fled to India following deadly student-led protests in August.

Chief Prosecutor Muhammad Tajul Islam stated that Hasina was convicted alongside Shakil Akand Bulbul, a former leader of the banned Chhatra League — the student wing of Hasina’s Awami League party — who was sentenced to two months in prison.

The verdict, delivered by a three-member panel led by Justice Golam Mortuza Mozumder, specified that the prison terms would take effect upon the defendants’ arrest or voluntary surrender.

The case stems from a leaked phone recording in which Hasina allegedly stated, “There are 227 cases against me, so I now have a license to kill 227 people.” A forensic report by a government agency has since authenticated the audio.

The ICT, initially established in 2010 under Hasina’s own administration to prosecute war crimes from the 1971 independence war, is now operating under the authority of Bangladesh’s interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.

Yunus’ administration has pledged accountability for human rights abuses and corruption, particularly relating to the violent crackdown on last July’s protests, which led to the fall of Hasina’s regime.

Hasina is also facing charges of crimes against humanity related to the unrest. The Awami League remains banned, and several of its former leaders are currently on trial.

While supporters of Hasina argue that the charges are politically motivated, the interim government maintains that the prosecutions are essential to restore democratic integrity and the rule of law in Bangladesh.

Source: CNN