War Crime Facts Finding body to train up lawyers, rights activists
Thursday, 10 December 2009
The War Crime Facts Finding Committee will begin a four-day professional training course for lawyers and human rights activists to try the 1971 war criminals from December 17.
"The trial has to be made acceptable to the victims as well as perpetrators and it must be fair and has to be perceived as fair globally. We are starting the file after long 37 years for which many important evidence have been lost. So, we are going to conduct the training in our own way," Dr MA Hasan, convener of the committee, told BSS Wednesday.
The War Crime Facts Finding Committee and non-government organisations (NGOs) mainly carry out research work on genocide and conduct inquiries to adjudge the horrendous crimes of 1971.
When asked whether the government has any such plan of training, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Barrister Shafique Ahmed told the news agency that the government is going to engage a panel of senior and veteran lawyers.
"It would take some time to select them," he added.
"The European Union (EU) and other international communities had already showed their willingness to support us to build our capacity, if necessary. However, we have taken up their gesture into consideration," the law minister said.
The government has amended the International Crimes Tribunal Act 1973 and already taken steps for a special tribunal to try 1971 war criminals and as part of that it started construction and renovation work for preparing the courtroom and other necessary enclosures for the special tribunal.
"The most crucial part of the tribunal is some formal procedures to establish truth, justice, produce fact sheets, investigation tips, forensic exhibits and DNA profiling to probe the crimes," he mentioned.
With the aim of gathering knowledge from the experienced persons in this field, the minister said, "We have a plan to share experiences with the lawyers who witnessed ICTY (International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia), ICJ (International Commission of Jurists) and with the lawyers who saw or took part in the procedures of war crimes in South Africa."
According to Mr Hasan, a total of 20 professionals showed interest in taking part in the training course.
As per its election commitment, the government is expected to start by March 2010 the trial of suspected war criminals and collaborators of the Pakistani military during the 1971 liberation war, law ministry sources said.
"The trial has to be made acceptable to the victims as well as perpetrators and it must be fair and has to be perceived as fair globally. We are starting the file after long 37 years for which many important evidence have been lost. So, we are going to conduct the training in our own way," Dr MA Hasan, convener of the committee, told BSS Wednesday.
The War Crime Facts Finding Committee and non-government organisations (NGOs) mainly carry out research work on genocide and conduct inquiries to adjudge the horrendous crimes of 1971.
When asked whether the government has any such plan of training, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Barrister Shafique Ahmed told the news agency that the government is going to engage a panel of senior and veteran lawyers.
"It would take some time to select them," he added.
"The European Union (EU) and other international communities had already showed their willingness to support us to build our capacity, if necessary. However, we have taken up their gesture into consideration," the law minister said.
The government has amended the International Crimes Tribunal Act 1973 and already taken steps for a special tribunal to try 1971 war criminals and as part of that it started construction and renovation work for preparing the courtroom and other necessary enclosures for the special tribunal.
"The most crucial part of the tribunal is some formal procedures to establish truth, justice, produce fact sheets, investigation tips, forensic exhibits and DNA profiling to probe the crimes," he mentioned.
With the aim of gathering knowledge from the experienced persons in this field, the minister said, "We have a plan to share experiences with the lawyers who witnessed ICTY (International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia), ICJ (International Commission of Jurists) and with the lawyers who saw or took part in the procedures of war crimes in South Africa."
According to Mr Hasan, a total of 20 professionals showed interest in taking part in the training course.
As per its election commitment, the government is expected to start by March 2010 the trial of suspected war criminals and collaborators of the Pakistani military during the 1971 liberation war, law ministry sources said.