Bangladesh
Kaiser ICT issues death warrant against Syed Kaiser
Dhaka, October 22: The International Criminal Tribunal (ICT) has issued a death warrant for Syed Mohammad Kaiser, a former state leader and state minister who was sentenced to death for crimes against humanity during the war of liberation. Saeed Ahmed, the registrar of the International Criminal Tribunal, confirmed the information to BSS on Thursday.
He said they received a full copy of the verdict on Wednesday afternoon, October 21.
The death warrant was sent to Dhaka Central Jail, Home Ministry Secretary, Law Ministry Secretary and Dhaka District Magistrate today.
On January 14 this year, a four-judge appellate division bench headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain partially granted his appeal against the death sentence.
SM Shahjahan was the lawyer for Kaiser in this case. The late Attorney General Mahbubey Alam represented the state.
The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) has upheld the death sentence of Syed Kaiser for war crimes such as arbitrary murder and rape in Brahmanbaria and Habiganj during the War of Liberation.
Although the Kaiser's appeal was granted in part, the death penalty was upheld on the basis of a majority vote on three charges.
Kaiser, a one-time Muslim League leader, was a loyal ally of the Pakistani forces.
The people of Brahmanbaria and Habiganj know him as a notorious person for the war crimes he committed by forming a group called 'Kaiser Bahini'.
The tribunal's ruling on December 23, 2014, stated that Kaiser had so openly sided with the Pakistani aggressors that he did not hesitate to hand over the women of his village to the Pakistanis for abuse.
In that ruling, the tribunal sentenced Kaiser to death on seven charges, including rape of two women.
One of the two victims and a war child born to her also testified in the case.
In another case, there were allegations of arbitrary murder.
The war crimes tribunal sentenced him to death on four counts of kidnapping, torture and murder, and another 22 years on three counts.
This is the ninth case on appeal since the long-awaited war crimes trial began in 2010, with a final verdict.
As per the rules, the accused can apply for review of this verdict.
If the decision of the Supreme Court is not changed, the accused can beg for mercy from the President.
If he fails to do so, the concerned authorities will take action to punish him.
