A group of prominent British lawyers and former cabinet ministers have raised “profound concerns” about the trial of Labour MP Tulip Siddiq over corruption allegations in Bangladesh.
The warning comes in an open letter signed by Cherie Blair – the barrister and wife of ex-prime minister Sir Tony Blair – and two former Tory cabinet ministers: Sir Robert Buckland, who served as justice secretary and Dominic Grieve, an ex-attorney general.
They wrote that the criminal proceedings against Ms Siddiq were “artificial and a contrived and unfair way of pursuing a prosecution”.
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Ms Siddiq resigned as city minister earlier this year following accusations she illegally received a plot of land in a new high-end development on the outskirts of Bangladesh’s capital, from her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted as prime minister last year.
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Bangladesh’s anti-corruption commission (ACC) has claimed the Labour MP received a 7,200sq ft plot in the diplomatic zone through “abuse of power and influence”.
An investigation by the prime minister’s ethics adviser did not find “evidence of improprieties” but said it was “regrettable” that Ms Siddiq had not been more alert to the “potential reputational risks” of the ties to her aunt.
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Ex-minister Tulip Siddiq facing corruption trial in Bangladesh
Her trial began in August, and media reports in Bangladesh suggest a verdict could be handed down in Dhaka within days.
The former minister has not attended the trial and has maintained that the allegations against her are vexatious and part of a smear campaign.
Earlier this month, Hasina was sentenced to death by a Bangladeshi court after she was found guilty of crimes against humanity.
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In the letter, which was hand-delivered to the Bangladeshi High Commission on Monday evening, the lawyers wrote that Ms Siddiq “does not have a proper opportunity of defending herself”.
“She is being tried in her absence without justification and… the proceedings fall far short of standards of fairness recognised internationally,” they said.
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The letter was also signed by the high-profile lawyers Philippe Sands and Geoffrey Robertson.
They have called for the Bangladeshi authorities to put all the allegations to Ms Siddiq’s lawyers “so that she has a fair opportunity to address them”.
The Bangladeshi High Commission has been approached for comment.
