Bangladesh Jamaat Leader Handed the Death Penalty

Assistant secretary-general of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, Mohammad Kamaruzzaman, has been handed the death penalty by a Bangladesh war crimes tribunal for war crimes against humanity.

Kamaruzzaman, who has claimed his trial is politically motivated, was convicted on five counts of torture, rape, kidnapping and genocide of at least 120 unarmed Bangladeshi farmers in Sohagpur village.

He was accused of being the mastermind behind the creation of the al-Badr, a killer squad of the Pakistani army that committed mass murder during the 1971 war for independence.

Chief defence counsel Abdur Razzaq said, “He was just a lad during the war. It’s a ridiculous suggestion that a 19-year-old could control the Pakistani army.”

According to an interview held by Al Jazeera with a top analyst, David Bergman, he said, “The Jamaat-e-Islami will not be happy with this verdict, but it is unclear at this point whether there will be violence.”

He also added, “There has been constant criticism from the defence lawyers that they are dealing with a politicized court process and that they are being prosecuted because they are part of an alliance that is against the government.”

He told the correspondent that despite the loud cheers outside the court after the verdict was announced, the defence, however, is extremely critical of the judgment and cannot believe so much responsibility is being placed on a man who was just 19 at the time the crime was committed.

The war tribunal, which was established in 2010 by the government to put under trial Bangladesh natives charged with collaborating with Pakistani forces in an attempt to prevent the independence of East Pakistan, have convicted three other Islamists that play key roles in the affairs of the Jamaat party.

Only in February, Delwar Hossain Sayeedi, a Jamaat leader, was handed the penalty for his war crimes. There are indications that Kamaruzzaman’s conviction will increase the tension between police and Islamist protesters as there have been deadly clashes between the two parties in Dhaka.

According to official statistics, about three million people died in the nine-month Bangladesh secession war, while independent researchers said that the number of deaths were about half a million

Convicted Grandmother Fires at the UK Government for Condoning Death Penalty

Lindsay Sandiford, a 56-year-old grandmother of British origin, was handed down the death penalty in Bali by an Indonesian court for drug smuggling.

She is to be executed by a firing squad after being found guilty of smuggling 1.6 million Pounds Sterling worth of cocaine into the country in May, 2012

According to her written interview to Victoria Derbyshire on BBC Radio 5 Live, Sandiford compared the UK government’s outright refusal to pay for her lawyers as ‘tantamount to condoning the death penalty’ since she intended to appeal against the sentence.

Sandiford added, “The government has done very little to support me. The FCO has done even less. However, I have been able to talk about my situation and will continue to do so because there are others in similar desperate plights that are not seen.”

“There are, and will continue to be, British nationals facing execution without lawyers and because they cannot raise their voices the government is standing by refusing to assist with funding of lawyers for them.”

Ever since she was arrested and accused of being at the centre of a drugs ring, she has repeatedly denied she was attempting to sell drugs in Bali, insisting she had been coerced into carrying a suitcase full of cocaine by gangsters who were threatening to hurt one of her children.

However, she has shown appreciation to those who stood by her throughout her ordeal.

In the interview, Sandiford said, "I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the people who made donations together with the uplifting messages of support."

“In my darkest hour, this was like a ray of sunshine. I was beginning to feel that my situation was unbearable. I felt totally stranded and alone. The public's caring has shown just how wrong you can be.”

“I am blessed to know my family loved me whatever. Just giving has shown me that you are never alone. People really do care when they know.”
 
According to Reprieve, the charity body assisting Sandiford, the deadline for lodging the next stage of her appeal is early next week.