1971 crimes against humanity: SC starts hearing of Mobarak's appeal

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court today started hearing of the appeal filed by Mobarak Hossain challenging the International Crimes Tribunal verdict that sentenced him to death penalty for committing crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971.

A five-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed began the hearing with Barrister Imran A Siddiq placing arguments on behalf of Mobarak Hossain.

During today's hearing, the lawyer read out before the apex court the depositions made by the witnesses to the tribunal.

The Appellate Division fixed tomorrow for resuming the hearing.

On November 24, 2014, the International Crimes Tribunal-1 sentenced Mobarak, a Jamaat-e-Islami leader from Brahmanbaria who later joined the Awami League after 1971, to death for abducting and killing 33 people of Tanmandayl village in his district during the Liberation War.

The tribunal also sentenced Mobarak to life imprisonment for another war crime and acquitted him of three other charges.

On December 18, 2014, Mobarak filed an appeal through his lawyers with the apex court, challenging the ICT-1 verdict.

In an 82-page appeal, Mobarak sought acquittal of the two charges, in which he was found guilty and convicted. He also annexed documents of 780 pages along with the appeal.

The former AL leader also mentioned 77 grounds, for which, according to him, the court should consider acquitting him.