War crimes: Condemned Mojaheed, SQ Chy seek review

-- Mojaheed, SQ Chy seek review

-- 38-page, 32 grounds for Mojaheed

-- 108-page review plea for SQ Chy

-- No execution until review disposed

Jamaat-e-Islami leader Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed and BNP’s Salauddin Quader Chowdhury today sought review of Supreme Court verdicts that upheld their death penalties for war crimes.

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Mojaheed’s lawyer submitted the petition to the appeal section of the apex court on his behalf seeking acquittal of all the charges brought against him.

His lawyer Shishir Monir told The Daily Star that the 38-page review petition mentions 32 grounds for consideration of Mojaheed’s prayers.

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The apex court on June 16 this year upheld death for Mojaheed, chief of infamous Al-Badr force during 1971, for planning and instigating the killing of intellectuals and professionals at the fag end of the country's Liberation War.

In July 2013, the International Crimes Tribunal-2 sentenced the 67-year-old Jamaat-e-Islami secretary general to death, jailed him for life and sentenced him to five years in prison in five separate charges.

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Lawyer Shishir said petition stated that Mojaheed was a 23-year-old student during Liberation War and not involved with Al-Badr auxiliary force during 1971.

He claimed that they annexed fresh evidence in the review showing that Al-Badr force was operated and led by Pakistan military. “Thus Mojaheed was not its commander.”

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There was no mention of the name of Mojaheed in the list of Al-Badr and collaborator forces in the report submitted by the investigation officer submitted before the court, he claimed.

He said Mojaheed cannot be executed until the review petition is disposed by the apex court.

The Supreme Court’s chamber judge will later fix a date for hearing the review before the full bench of the Appellate Division of the apex court.

Salauddin Quader’s lawyer filed a 108-page petition seeking review of the Supreme Court verdict that upheld his death for war crimes and genocide in 1971.

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His lawyer Huzzadul Islam told the Daily Star that the Supreme Court will now fixed a date for hearing the review petition.

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On July 29, the apex court upheld the International Crimes Tribunal-1 verdict that sentenced Salauddin to death for his crimes against humanity and genocide during the Liberation War of the country in 1971.

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On September 30, the Supreme Court released the full judgment and the following day the International Crimes Tribunal-1 issued warrant of execution against him.

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam hoped that the death sentence of Mojaheed and Salauddin Quader will remain upheld in the review at the Supreme Court.

Speaking at a press briefing, he said his office will file an application to the Supreme Court praying for early hearing of the review petition.

The chamber judge of the Supreme Court will sit on next Tuesday when the applications will be heard, he said. The scope for review of the SC judgment in any criminal case is very thin, he added.