SC starts appeal hearing of war criminal Azhar

Supreme Court has begun appeal hearing against death penalty of convicted war criminal and former Jamaat-e-Islami leader ATM Azharul Islam.

A four-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain began the hearing this morning.

At the start, lawyer Advocate Joynal Abedin Tuhin read out from the paper book of the case.

International Crimes Tribunal 1 on December 30, 2014 sentenced Azharul, assistant secretary general of Jamaat, to death for committing crimes against humanity during the Liberation War.

Later on, Azharul filed an appeal with the SC challenging the verdict.

In the appeal, he prayed to the Appellate Division to acquit him of the charges claiming that he is innocent.