The High Court division of the Bangladesh Supreme Court has reduced the death sentences of seven militants to life imprisonment for their involvement in the 2016 attack on the Holey Artisan Cafe in Dhaka. The attack, which took place on July 1, 2016, resulted in the death of twenty individuals, including nine Italians, seven Japanese people, one Indian, one American, and two Bangladeshi nationals.
During the attack, the seven militants took hostages and used firearms and bombs. Security forces managed to kill five perpetrators at the cafe, while eight suspects were killed during subsequent security raids. The Dhaka Special Anti-Terrorism Tribunal had initially sentenced the seven convicted militants to death on November 27, 2019, with one individual acquitted.
However, in Bangladesh, the approval of the High Court is required to carry out a death sentence given by a trial court. All relevant documents were submitted to the High Court, which subsequently decided to reduce the sentence to life imprisonment.
This development comes seven years after the defendants were initially sentenced to death. The reduction in sentence was based on the review of evidence and legal considerations by the High Court division of the Bangladesh Supreme Court.
