Top Islamist jailed for Bangladesh war crimes amid deadly clashes
Source: AFP |
July 16, 2013, Tuesday
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A Bangladeshi court yesterday sentenced an elderly Islamist to 90 years in prison for masterminding atrocities during the 1971 independence war, amid deadly clashes between his supporters and police.
Ghulam Azam, 90, whom prosecutors compared to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, was found guilty of five charges of planning, conspiracy, incitement, complicity and murder during the war against Pakistan.
Azam, the fifth person convicted at a war crimes court set up by the government, remained stony-faced in his wheelchair as the sentence was read out yestrerday.
Jamaat-e-Islami, the country's largest Islamic party and a key member of the opposition, called a nationwide strike to protest the verdict, saying the trials are aimed at eliminating its leaders.
Azam, the wartime head of Jamaat and now its spiritual leader, was spared the death penalty because of his age and health, a senior government lawyer said.
"He was found guilty beyond reasonable doubt in all five charges and jailed 90 years. The tribunal observed that he deserved (the) death penalty," junior Attorney General MK Rahman said.
"Some kind of justice is done but we are not happy," he added.
Violence erupted across Bangladesh ahead of the judgement, with Azam's supporters clashing with police and paramilitary troops. They responded with rubber bullets and in some cases live rounds, officials said.
One protester was killed in Shibganj, after paramilitary troops fired at Jamaat activists hurling homemade bombs, local police chiefs said.
A low-level official from the ruling party was beaten to death by suspected Jamaat supporters in the southwestern district of Satkhira, the police chiefs said.
Police said they fired rubber bullets at protesters in the capital Dhaka and the cities of Bogra, Comilla and Rajshahi after activists went on the rampage, attacking and torching dozens of vehicles.
Previous verdicts by the tribunal have plunged the country, which has a 90 percent Muslim population, into political violence that has left at least 150 people dead.
The tribunal said Azam held "superior responsibility" for the atrocities committed by militias which he helped to create to support the Pakistani army during the war.
"It has been proved that Ghulam Azam was the architect of the militia groups including Peace Committee, Al Badr, Rajakar," judge ATM Fazle Kabir told the packed tribunal.
Azam's lawyer Tajul Islam pledged to appeal, saying the charges were based on newspaper reports of speeches Azam gave during the war, which led to the creation of Bangladesh.
"We'll definitely appeal," Islam said.
Ghulam Azam, 90, whom prosecutors compared to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, was found guilty of five charges of planning, conspiracy, incitement, complicity and murder during the war against Pakistan.
Azam, the fifth person convicted at a war crimes court set up by the government, remained stony-faced in his wheelchair as the sentence was read out yestrerday.
Jamaat-e-Islami, the country's largest Islamic party and a key member of the opposition, called a nationwide strike to protest the verdict, saying the trials are aimed at eliminating its leaders.
Azam, the wartime head of Jamaat and now its spiritual leader, was spared the death penalty because of his age and health, a senior government lawyer said.
"He was found guilty beyond reasonable doubt in all five charges and jailed 90 years. The tribunal observed that he deserved (the) death penalty," junior Attorney General MK Rahman said.
"Some kind of justice is done but we are not happy," he added.
Violence erupted across Bangladesh ahead of the judgement, with Azam's supporters clashing with police and paramilitary troops. They responded with rubber bullets and in some cases live rounds, officials said.
One protester was killed in Shibganj, after paramilitary troops fired at Jamaat activists hurling homemade bombs, local police chiefs said.
A low-level official from the ruling party was beaten to death by suspected Jamaat supporters in the southwestern district of Satkhira, the police chiefs said.
Police said they fired rubber bullets at protesters in the capital Dhaka and the cities of Bogra, Comilla and Rajshahi after activists went on the rampage, attacking and torching dozens of vehicles.
Previous verdicts by the tribunal have plunged the country, which has a 90 percent Muslim population, into political violence that has left at least 150 people dead.
The tribunal said Azam held "superior responsibility" for the atrocities committed by militias which he helped to create to support the Pakistani army during the war.
"It has been proved that Ghulam Azam was the architect of the militia groups including Peace Committee, Al Badr, Rajakar," judge ATM Fazle Kabir told the packed tribunal.
Azam's lawyer Tajul Islam pledged to appeal, saying the charges were based on newspaper reports of speeches Azam gave during the war, which led to the creation of Bangladesh.
"We'll definitely appeal," Islam said.
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