A special tribunal in Bangladesh on Oct. 29 sentenced Jamaat-e-Islami [4] (JI) leader Motiur Rahman Nizami to death for crimes committed during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War [5] with Pakistan. The former Cabinet minister was tried on charges [6] that included genocide, rape, murder and torture, and was accused of personally carrying out or ordering the deaths of nearly 600 Bangladeshis while serving as supreme commander of the Al-Badr militia. The JI party has released a statement denouncing the verdict, and the defense has announced its plan to appeal [7], contending that the charges were not proven beyond a reasonable doubt and that the tribunal went beyond its jurisdiction.
From Jurist [8], Oct. 29. Used with permission.
