Appeal hearing on Nizami’s death penalty adjourned

The Supreme Court today started hearing on the appeal filed by Jamaat-e-Islami chief Motiur Rahman Nizami challenging a verdict that had sentenced him to death for his crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971.
A four-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha began the hearing with Attorney General Mahbubey Alam placing eight war crime charges on which Nizami was convicted.

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Defence counsel Joynul Abedin Tuhin was read out the statement of prosecution witnesses before the apex court.
After hearing, the court was adjourned until November 3.
On October 29 last year, International Crimes Tribunal-1 (ICT-1) handed Nizami the death penalty on four charges of war crimes, including murdering intellectuals during the Liberation War in 1971. The 71-year-old was also awarded life imprisonment on the other four charges.  
Nizami on November 23 of the same year challenged the death penalty claiming himself innocent. He sought acquittal of all the eight charges on which he was found guilty.