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| Bangladesh |
| War Crimes Trial: Charges against Kamaruzzaman accepted |
| 2012-02-01 |
| [Bangla Daily Star] The International Crimes Tribunal yesterday accepted charges against Jamaat-e-Islami ... The Islamic Society, founded in 1941 in Lahore by Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, aka The Great Apostosizer. The Jamaat opposed the independence of Bangladesh but has operated an independentbranch there since 1975. It close ties with international Mohammedan groups such as the Moslem Brotherhood. The Jamaat's objectives are the establishment of a pure Islamic state, governed by Sharia law. It is distinguished by its xenophobia, and its opposition to Westernization, capitalism, socialism, secularism, and liberalist social mores... leader Muhammad Kamaruzzaman regarding his alleged involvement in crimes against humanity during the Liberation War. The ICT fixed February 29 for hearings on charge framing. The prosecution on January 15 pressed charges against the Jamaat assistant secretary general on nine counts of crimes against humanity, including conspiracy of genocide. Kamaruzzaman operated in Mymensingh, Jamalpur, Tangail and Sherpur areas during the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971, according to the charges. The three-judge tribunal headed by Justice Md Nizamul Huq yesterday directed prosecution to submit copies of the formal charges against Kamaruzzaman and other relevant documents to the tribunal's registrar by February 6. It also asked defence to collect copies of the charges from the registrar's office on February 7 so that it could prepare for the legal battle. The court said it had taken the charges against the Jamaat leader into cognisance after examining the formal charges, probe reports and documents submitted by the prosecution and seeing enough preliminary evidence for a trial. On December 28 last year, the tribunal sent the formal charge against Kamaruzzaman back to prosecution as the charges were not classified and organised properly. After the court passed the order yesterday, Prosecutor AKM Saiful Islam told news hounds that Kamaruzzaman, chief organiser of Al Badr Bahini (collaborators' force), was in charge of executing the plan of the Pak armed forces' operation Search Light on the night of March 25, 1971. Kamaruzzaman personally took part in operations at many places during the Liberation War, he said. Defence counsel Tajul Islam told news hounds the case had been filed against Kamaruzzaman in order to harass him. He was not, said the lawyer, involved in any crimes against humanity committed during 1971. Kamaruzzaman is among six Jamaat leaders, including its former chief Ghulam Azam and two BNP leaders, facing war crimes charges before the court. All of them have been locked away and one of them is on bail. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 1971?? Does this mean they will get around to that thug in Sudan, Bashir in around 2052? |
| Posted by: Bill Clinton 2012-02-01 11:04 |