Bangladesh sentences Islamist leader to death for war crimes
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 17 July 2013 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Bangladesh sentences Islamist leader to death for war crimes, 17 July 2013, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5208945514.html [accessed 27 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
July 17, 2013
A Bangladeshi court has sentenced a senior Islamist leader to death for war crimes committed during the 1971 independence war from Pakistan.
Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed, 65, the secretary-general of the Jamaat-e Islami party, was convicted on July 17 on charges of genocide, murder, conspiracy, and complicity in atrocities.
His defense attorneys say they will appeal.
To protest the verdict, Jamaat-e Islami called for a general strike across the country.
On July 15, the government-commissioned International Criminal Tribunal convicted another Jamaat-e Islami leader for war crimes. Ghulam Azam was sentenced to 90 years in prison.
The Bangladeshi government estimates the Pakistani Army and local collaborators, such as Jamaat-e Islami, killed some 3 million people and raped some 200,000 women during the war, though those figures are disputed by independent researchers.
Based on reporting by AP, Reuters, and AFP
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
