Nizami appeal final verdict today

Date for hearing on Mir Quasem appeal to be fixed today

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court will today deliver its final verdict on the appeal filed by Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer, Motiur Rahman Nizami, against death penalty handed down by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) for wartime offences. The tribunal handed down death penalty on four charges of crimes against humanity committed during the 1971 Liberation War.
On December 8, a four-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha had fixed January 6 for delivering the final verdict in the case. Tight security arrangement has been made in and around Supreme Court premises to avoid any untoward incident ahead or during the verdict.
Talking to reporters yesterday, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam hoped that the Supreme Court will uphold death penalty for Nizami for wartime offences. The chief state counsel said that the ICT has rightly awarded death penalty to Nizami, and the top court should uphold the sentence as people have been seeking justice for martyrs of the Liberation War.
However, the Chief Defence Counsel, Advocate Khandker Mahbub Hossain, hoped that the apex court will acquit his client of all charges. He said that the apex court should commute the death penalty of his client as the prosecution has failed to prove any of the charges brought against Nizami. During the hearing, too, Hossain prayed to the court to commute the death penalty of his client. He also submitted that even if the court thinks that any of the charges against Nizami have been proven, Nizami would still be eligible for lighter punishment, given his age and health.
"As a lawyer, I will certainly accept the verdict, whatever it is. Then we'll analyse it and if we find our points were not properly addressed, we have the chance to seek review," he added.
On October 29 last year, the ICT-1 found 71-year-old Nizami guilty in eight of the 16 war crime charges brought against him, and handed down death penalty for four charges and life imprisonment on the remaining four. The ICT-1, however, acquitted Nizami of eight other charges as the prosecution failed to prove them.
On November 23 last year, Nizami filed an appeal before the Supreme Court, challenging the ICT-1 verdict. The appeal, containing 6,252 pages, cited 168 reasons for Nizami to be acquitted of the war crime charges. The apex court began hearing Nizami’s appeal on September 9, and resumed hearing on November 17. Meanwhile, on January 30, a Chittagong court sentenced Nizami to death in the 10-truck arms haul case. His appeal in the case is yet to be disposed of by the High Court. Nizami has been detained in the Kashimpur high-security prison in Gazipur.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court yesterday said that on Wednesday, it will fix a date for hearing the appeal filed by Jamaat leader, Mir Quasem Ali, against death penalty awarded by the tribunal for wartime offences. The four-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha did not fix a date for hearing yesterday owing to absence of the defence lawyer. The apex court asked the advocate-on-record to request the conducting lawyer to be present in court on Wednesday. Later, Chief Defence Counsel, Advocate Khandker Mahbub Hossain, said that he will be present in court on Wednesday.
On November 2, 2014, the International Crimes Tribunal-2 sentenced Quasem to death for crimes against humanity in 1971. Quasem later filed an appeal with the SC, challenging the tribunal's verdict. Quasem, a member of Jamaat-e-Islami Central Executive Council, in his appeal, cited 181 reasons for acquittal on all charges. The Supreme Court enlisted the matter at number four of the daily cause list.
So far, verdicts have been handed down against five war criminals in war crimes cases. The convicts include Jamaat assistant secretaries general Quader Molla and Mohammad Kamaruzzaman, secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid, the party’s Nayeb-e-Amir Delwar Hossain Sayedee, and BNP leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury.

Nizami appeal final verdict today

Date for hearing on Mir Quasem appeal to be fixed today

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court will today deliver its final verdict on the appeal filed by Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer, Motiur Rahman Nizami, against death penalty handed down by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) for wartime offences. The tribunal handed down death penalty on four charges of crimes against humanity committed during the 1971 Liberation War. On December 8, a four-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha had fixed January 6 for delivering the final verdict in the case. Tight security arrangement has been made in and around Supreme Court premises to avoid any untoward incident ahead or during the verdict. Talking to reporters yesterday, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam hoped that the Supreme Court will uphold death penalty for Nizami for wartime offences. The chief state counsel said that the ICT has rightly awarded death penalty to Nizami, and the top court should uphold the sentence as people have been seeking justice for martyrs of the Liberation War. However, the Chief Defence Counsel, Advocate Khandker Mahbub Hossain, hoped that the apex court will acquit his client of all charges. He said that the apex court should commute the death penalty of his client as the prosecution has failed to prove any of the charges brought against Nizami. During the hearing, too, Hossain prayed to the court to commute the death penalty of his client. He also submitted that even if the court thinks that any of the charges against Nizami have been proven, Nizami would still be eligible for lighter punishment, given his age and health. As a lawyer, I will certainly accept the verdict, whatever it is. Then well analyse it and if we find our points were not properly addressed, we have the chance to seek review, he added. On October 29 last year, the ICT-1 found 71-year-old Nizami guilty in eight of the 16 war crime charges brought against him, and handed down death penalty for four charges and life imprisonment on the remaining four. The ICT-1, however, acquitted Nizami of eight other charges as the prosecution failed to prove them. On November 23 last year, Nizami filed an appeal before the Supreme Court, challenging the ICT-1 verdict. The appeal, containing 6,252 pages, cited 168 reasons for Nizami to be acquitted of the war crime charges. The apex court began hearing Nizamis appeal on September 9, and resumed hearing on November 17. Meanwhile, on January 30, a Chittagong court sentenced Nizami to death in the 10-truck arms haul case. His appeal in the case is yet to be disposed of by the High Court. Nizami has been detained in the Kashimpur high-security prison in Gazipur. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court yesterday said that on Wednesday, it will fix a date for hearing the appeal filed by Jamaat leader, Mir Quasem Ali, against death penalty awarded by the tribunal for wartime offences. The four-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha did not fix a date for hearing yesterday owing to absence of the defence lawyer. The apex court asked the advocate-on-record to request the conducting lawyer to be present in court on Wednesday. Later, Chief Defence Counsel, Advocate Khandker Mahbub Hossain, said that he will be present in court on Wednesday. On November 2, 2014, the International Crimes Tribunal-2 sentenced Quasem to death for crimes against humanity in 1971. Quasem later filed an appeal with the SC, challenging the tribunals verdict. Quasem, a member of Jamaat-e-Islami Central Executive Council, in his appeal, cited 181 reasons for acquittal on all charges. The Supreme Court enlisted the matter at number four of the daily cause list. So far, verdicts have been handed down against five war criminals in war crimes cases. The convicts include Jamaat assistant secretaries general Quader Molla and Mohammad Kamaruzzaman, secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid, the partys Nayeb-e-Amir Delwar Hossain Sayedee, and BNP leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury.