Sayedee sentenced to death

In its first judgment, the International Crimes Tribunal-1 on Thursday condemned Delwar Hossain Sayedee, nayeb-e-ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami, to death for his crimes against humanity during the Liberation War 42 years ago, report agencies. ICT-1 chairman Justice ATM Fazle Kabir, flanked by two other members of the tribunal, pronounced the judgment at 1:45 pm which had been kept pending since January 29 last after closing law-point arguments afresh. Sayedee was produced in the dock at 11:10am and then the reading out of the 120-page judgment began. Sayedee, also an ex-MP of Jamaat, was found guilty of crimes against humanity, including genocide, rape, arson attacks, looting, forcibly converting Hindus into Muslims during the War in collaboration with the Pakistani occupation forces. A total of 28 prosecution witnesses testified against Sayedee while 17 defence witnesses for him. Following a Dhaka court order, Sayedee was arrested along with Jamaat leaders Matiur Rahman Nizami and Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid on June 30, 2010, in connection with hurting religious sentiment of the Muslims. Later, they were shown arrested in the war crimes cases. Meanwhile, ICT-2 delivered two judgments sentencing Abul Kalam Azad, an expelled Rokan of Jamaat-e-Islami, to death in absentia and Abdul Quader Mollah, an assistant secretary general of Jamaat, to life term imprisonment. On October 3, 2011, the tribunal framed charges on 20 counts against Sayedee under section 3 (2) and its sub-sections of the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act 1973. But ahead of delivery of the verdict, Justice ATM Fazle Kabir gave an introductory statement saying the tribunal did not try Sayedee "who is a central Jamaat-e-Islami(JI) leader, who was elected twice to the parliament, who is an Islamic orator having many followers". "Rather we are trying Delwar Hossain Sayedee who was a 30- year old young man during the Liberation War who was called Delu by fellow villagers and was an active member of the first Peace Committee and being proficient in Urdu earned a goodwill among the Pakistani occupation forces," Kabir said. Witnesses said soon after the judgment security officials whisked Sayedee away from the dock while tribunal officials said he would later be brought to the jail where he would await the legal process ahead of the execution of the verdict. Meanwhile, bdnews24.com report adds: Lawyers of Jamaat-e-Islami leader Delwar Hossain Sayedee said they will appeal against the death sentence. Reacting to the ICT's verdict that ordered Sayadee to be hanged to death for perpetrating 'crimes against humanity', senior defence counsel Abdur Razzaq told journalists that they would not let the verdict go unchallenged. "Obviously we will appeal as he (Sayedee) is innocent. He was supposed to be acquitted. Prosecution secured the verdict in their favour by producing false witnesses," Razzaq said. In a courtroom packed with journalists, relatives of the accused and observers, ICT-1 Chairman ATM Fazle Kabir said eight of the 20 allegations brought against Sayedee were proved beyond doubt. The list of eight includes two incidents of killing for which he was sentenced to death. Sayedee, however, was not punished for the six other allegations proved before the tribunal. The International Crimes Tribunal law entitles a convict to appeal if he is dissatisfied with any verdict. Regarding the two allegations, Razzaq said, "One allegation is about killing Bisaboli. The state abducted the witness we had brought in this connection." "The prosecution witness who testified on the other allegation is himself a convict, and his deposition should not be accepted in a court." Sayadee's wartime brutality earned him the name 'Deilla Rajakar' in Pirozpur. The tribunal while delivering the verdict observed that prosecution had succesfully established Sayedee's role as the local Rozakar leader in Pirozpur.