SC seeks concise statements on Nizami verdict

The Supreme Court today asked both the state and defence counsels to submit in two weeks the concise statements on an appeal filed by convicted war criminal Motiur Rahman Nizami against his death sentence.

The four-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice SK Sinha passed the order as the appeal of Nizami came in its hearing list today.

A concise statement contains the legal points on which the lawyers place arguments before the Appellate Division during its hearing.

International Crimes Tribunal-1 on October 29 last year handed him the death penalty on four charges of war crimes, including murdering intellectuals. The 72-year-old was also awarded life imprisonment on the other four charges.

Nizami on November 23, last year filed the appeal with the SC challenging the death penalty verdict awarded to him by a war crimes tribunal for his crimes against humanity that he committed during the Liberation War in 1971.

In his appeal, Nizami claimed himself innocent and sought acquittal on the eight charges he was found guilty.

Nizami in his 121-page appeal mentioned 168 legal reasons to establish his innocence.

On the other hand, the government did not file any appeal with the SC against the ICT-1 verdict on Nizami, as it was satisfied with the verdict.