Amnesty International finds the death penalty given to Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujaheed “extremely regrettable”.
The second war crimes tribunal of Bangladesh on Wednesday delivered the death sentence for mass murders the 66-year-old planned and executed during the 1971 Liberation War.
The global human rights watchdog is strongly opposed to all forms of capital punishments.
It also urged the Bangladeshi government to protect the Hindu minorities.
Amnesty International’s Bangladesh researcher Abbas Faiz, said, “It is extremely regrettable that Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujaheed has been handed down the death penalty.
“The war crimes tribunal offers a historic opportunity for justice and reconciliation in Bangladesh, but punishing an alleged violation of human rights with another is not the answer.
“The death penalty violates the right to life as recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment. We oppose it in all cases, without exception,” said Faiz.
The presiding ICT-2 judge while giving the verdict described Mujaheed as an “atrocious” Al-Badr commander who conspired, abducted, tortured and murdered.
Amnesty also expressed concern about the safety of the religious minorities who testified before the war crimes tribunal, saying some of the witnesses’ houses were attacked following death penalty verdicts.
The Bangladesh government must ensure that these communities, and any witnesses are protected, said Faiz.
“We are already seeing violent protests in Bangladesh in response to these verdicts. There have been injuries on both sides in clashes between opposition parties and the police over the past two days.”
“It is crucial that police do not use excessive force against demonstrators.”
Jamaat-e-Islami and members of their student front Islami Chhatra Shibir have gone on the rampage in the guise of shutdowns that were staged in protest at the verdicts delivered to their top leaders.
Jamaat activists have also been attacking police personnel since last year, as their leaders stand trial for crimes against humanity.
Numerous incidents of Jamaat and Shibir’s brutality have been reported from across the country.
Source: Bd news24
