Italy Welcomes Commutation of Holey Artisan Death Sentences

Italy has welcomed the decision of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh to commute the death penalty into life imprisonment for the Holey Artisan convicts.

Mr Luigi Maria Vignali, Director General for Italian Citizens Abroad and Migration Policies, expressed this view while speaking at a commemorative meeting marking the ninth anniversary of the Holey Artisan tragedy on July 1, 2016.

“In particular, I welcome the decision of the Supreme Court to commute the death penalty into life imprisonment. This is an important signal, consistent both with Italy's longstanding commitment to a universal moratorium on the use of the death penalty and with the concurrent need to serve justice,” said Mr Luigi Maria Vignali.

He also said, “July 1 marks nine years since we lost nine of our fellow citizens in the tragic attack in Dhaka. Although many years have passed, the pain remains vivid in the collective memory of our country. I attended this ceremony for the first time in 2019, and it has become an important moment ever since. Being here, representing Italy, is both an honour and a responsibility that I have carried throughout the years.”

Mr Luigi Maria Vignali added, “I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Ambassador Alessandro and to the staff of the Italian Embassy. Over the years, the Italian Embassy in Dhaka, in close coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has followed with great attention the criminal proceedings initiated against the seven main defendants. The Embassy has maintained regular contacts with the competent Bangladeshi authorities with the aim of ensuring a timely conclusion of the criminal proceedings, which unfortunately have been delayed due to the pandemic.”

"In this regard, I would also like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation for the remarkable work carried out by the local authorities over these years,” said Luigi Maria Vignali.

He also said, “I would like to thank the representatives of India, Japan, and the United States for their presence, which reaffirms the importance of shared remembrance and international solidarity against all forms of violence."

A special thanks also goes to the representatives of the European Union and the United Nations, whose presence today demonstrates the commitment of international institutions to keeping memory alive.

“Lastly, I wish to address a thought to the families of the victims, who are here with us today. Your presence reminds us of the deep meaning of this ceremony and urges us not to forget,” the Italian diplomat said.

Meanwhile, July 1 marks the 9th anniversary of the Holey Artisan Bakery attack that killed 22 people, including 17 foreign nationals.

On this day in 2016, militants with firearms, sharp weapons, and grenades attacked the Holey Artisan Bakery in Gulshan and killed three Bangladeshis, seven Japanese, nine Italians, and one Indian. Two police officers were also killed during the rescue operations.

Sub-Inspector Ripon Kumar Das filed a case over the attack with Gulshan Police Station under the Anti-Terrorism Act three days after the incident.

On November 27, 2019, the Anti-Terrorism Special Tribunal in Dhaka convicted and sentenced seven members of the New Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) to death for their involvement in the attack.

The seven convicts are Rakibul Hasan Regan, Md Jahangir Hossain alias Rajib Gandhi, Aslam Hossain alias Rash, Hadisur Rahman, Md Abdus Sabur Khan alias Sohel Mahfuz, Mamunur Rashid alias Ripon, and Shariful Islam Khaled.

About four years later, on October 30, 2023, the High Court (HC) bench of Justice Shahidul Karim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman commuted their death sentences to imprisonment until death after hearing the death references.

The HC on June 17 last published its full report describing why the court commuted the death sentences of the accused to imprisonment until death.

"Considering the brutality of the murder, the overall cruel behaviour of the terrorists on the spot at the time of the incident and the tarnishing of the image of Bangladesh in the outside world, we think that justice will be ensured if each of them (seven convicts) is sentenced to life imprisonment (till natural death) in the case," the bench said in the full text of the verdict.

Six of the seven convicts filed four leave-to-appeal petitions with the apex court in May this year, seeking acquittal from the charges in the case.