War tribunal convicts Mohammad Kamaruzzaman on charges of genocide and torture of unarmed civilians during 1971 war.
A Bangladesh war crimes tribunal has convicted and sentenced assistant secretary-general of the Jamaat-e-Islami party to death for war crimes, raising fears of clashes between the police and supporters of the Islamist leader.
Mohammad Kamaruzzaman, 59, was found guilty on charges of genocide and torture of unarmed civilians during the 1971 war for independence from Pakistan, lawyers and tribunal officials said on Thursday.
Obaidul Hassan, the head of the three-judge tribunal, said the charges had been proved beyond a doubt and sentenced him to death.
He had previously been acquitted for two of the seven original charges.
One of the charges that carried the death penalty was being a commander of a massacre of 120 people.
Defence lawyer Ehsan Siddiky said justice was denied to his client and promised to appeal.
"The defence, however, is extremely critical of the judgement and can not believe so much responsibility is being placed on a man who was just 19 at the time," he said.
Kamaruzzaman, who had pleaded not guilty through his lawyers, was accused of committing multiple abuses during the country's liberation war.
Bangladesh says the war left three million people dead, 200,000 women raped and millions forced to flee to neighbouring India.
Previous convictions of other Jamaat leaders, including two that carried the death penalty, led to protests and violence throughout Bangladesh.
The supporters of the largest Islamic party in the country claim the tribunals are a politically-motivated attempt to persecute their leaders.
"The Jamaat-e-Islami will not be happy with this verdict, but it is unclear at this point whether there will be violence," Bergman said.
"There has been constant criticism from the defence lawyers that they are dealing with a politicised court process and that they are being prosecuted because they are part of an alliance that is against the government."
Source: Al Jazeera, May 9, 2013
