A Bangladesh war crimes tribunal has sentenced a leading Islamist politician to death, after finding him guilty of rape, mass murder and genocide.
A.T.M. Azharul Islam, the 62 year old assistant secretary general of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, was found guilty of 5 of the 6 charges laid against him. He becomes the 11th Islamist politician to be convicted by the tribunal and the 16th overall. 14 people have been sentenced to death so far, with one Islamist politician executed in December 2013.
Islam has been ordered to be "hanged by the neck" for the murder of more than 1,200 people in the northern district of Rangpur. The attack was declared as part of a genocide by the tribunal, which found him guilty of being a key member of a pro-Pakistan militia during the 1971 war of independence from Pakistan.
Delivering the verdict, judge Enayetur Rahimjudge Rahim said, "No doubt, it was mass murder."
Islam decried the verdict, shouting it was “dictated” by the government from the dock, as he was being sentenced.
His lawyer, Tajul Islam rejected the charges and said an appeal was planned. "Azharul Islam was a 19-year-old student during the war and in no way was involved in war crime. The charges against him are false and fabricated," said the lawyer.
Controversies surrounding the tribunal, which has been accused of targetting opposition politicians since it was set up in 2010 by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has previously sparked protests in Bangladesh. More than 200 people, mostly Islamist party supporters and activists have been killed in demonstrations against the domestic tribunal has no international involvement or United Nations oversight.
A.T.M. Azharul Islam, the 62 year old assistant secretary general of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, was found guilty of 5 of the 6 charges laid against him. He becomes the 11th Islamist politician to be convicted by the tribunal and the 16th overall. 14 people have been sentenced to death so far, with one Islamist politician executed in December 2013.
Islam has been ordered to be "hanged by the neck" for the murder of more than 1,200 people in the northern district of Rangpur. The attack was declared as part of a genocide by the tribunal, which found him guilty of being a key member of a pro-Pakistan militia during the 1971 war of independence from Pakistan.
Delivering the verdict, judge Enayetur Rahimjudge Rahim said, "No doubt, it was mass murder."
Islam decried the verdict, shouting it was “dictated” by the government from the dock, as he was being sentenced.
His lawyer, Tajul Islam rejected the charges and said an appeal was planned. "Azharul Islam was a 19-year-old student during the war and in no way was involved in war crime. The charges against him are false and fabricated," said the lawyer.
Controversies surrounding the tribunal, which has been accused of targetting opposition politicians since it was set up in 2010 by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has previously sparked protests in Bangladesh. More than 200 people, mostly Islamist party supporters and activists have been killed in demonstrations against the domestic tribunal has no international involvement or United Nations oversight.