A video circulating across various online platforms claims that Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, has received credible evidence of unlawful power grabs, extrajudicial killings, and the rise of militant activity under Bangladesh’s interim government. The caption further states that Türk warned of potential sanctions against the Bangladesh Army if international human rights laws are not upheld.

Fact-check

An investigation by Rumor Scanner reveals that Volker Türk has not issued any such video message alleging that the UN has obtained evidence of illegal power seizure or extrajudicial killings under the interim government, nor has he issued any warning about sanctions on the Bangladesh Army. The video currently being circulated has, in fact, been taken from a different context—an earlier message Türk delivered in July 2024 during a student-led anti-discrimination protest in Bangladesh, in which he called on the government to release comprehensive information regarding the suppression of demonstrators.

Through further investigation, a video posted on July 25, 2024, on the official Facebook page of the UN Human Rights Office was found. This video closely resembles the one being circulated with the misleading claim. According to the caption and description of the video, Türk had urged authorities to disclose urgent details about the brutal suppression of protests amid reports of significant violence in Bangladesh. He mentioned that more than 170 people were reportedly killed and thousands injured, and stressed that law enforcement must act in accordance with international human rights law.

The same video was also found in a post dated July 25, 2024, on the official X handle of the UN Human Rights Office.

It is noteworthy that the interim government assumed office on August 8, 2024. Therefore, the video in question had already been available on the internet prior to the interim government taking office.

A report published on July 25, 2024, on the English version of mainstream news outlet Prothom Alo, titled “Disclose details about crackdown on protests: Volker Türk”, corroborates the original context of the video.

Hence, the video currently being circulated, presented as a recent statement by Volker Türk directed at the interim government and the Bangladesh Army, is misleading. The actual video was a call to the then-government in July 2024 and has been falsely repurposed.

Source: https://rumorscanner.com/fact-check/volker-turk-towards-interim-government-bd-army/164053