War Crimes: JI chief rejects sentence as ‘mockery of justice’
The Awami League government was using the war crimes tribunal to victimise its political opponents, says JI chief.
LAHORE:
Jamaat-i-Islami Pakistan Ameer Syed Munawar Hasan has condemned as “a mockery of justice” the 90-year jail term for war crimes handed to Prof Ghulam Azam, who led the JI in Bangladesh from 1969 to 2000.
The International Crimes Tribunal in Bangladesh found Azam guilty of conspiracy, incitement and failing to prevent murder, rape and other atrocities during the country’s secession struggle. He was the fifth JI leader to be convicted of war crimes by the court.
In a statement here on Monday, Hasan said that the Awami League government was using the war crimes tribunal to victimise its political opponents. The trial of Prof Azam, a scholar of international repute, was a political vendetta, he said.
He said that Sheikh Mujibur Rehman, at the time of independence, had made an agreement that the war crimes issue would not be raised.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 16th, 2013.
Jamaat-i-Islami Pakistan Ameer Syed Munawar Hasan has condemned as “a mockery of justice” the 90-year jail term for war crimes handed to Prof Ghulam Azam, who led the JI in Bangladesh from 1969 to 2000.
The International Crimes Tribunal in Bangladesh found Azam guilty of conspiracy, incitement and failing to prevent murder, rape and other atrocities during the country’s secession struggle. He was the fifth JI leader to be convicted of war crimes by the court.
In a statement here on Monday, Hasan said that the Awami League government was using the war crimes tribunal to victimise its political opponents. The trial of Prof Azam, a scholar of international repute, was a political vendetta, he said.
He said that Sheikh Mujibur Rehman, at the time of independence, had made an agreement that the war crimes issue would not be raised.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 16th, 2013.