Staff Reporter :
Law Minister Anisul Haque has categorically rejected a suggestion of holding the trial of 1971 war crimes in another country, terming it “unrealistic” and “unreasonable”.
He, however, expressed satisfaction over the remarkable change regarding opinion of the United States about war crimes trial.
The law minister also rejected another US proposal to find out an alternative to the death penalty for war criminals, as saying ‘no punishment other than death penalty is enough for war criminals as per country’s existing law’.
The latest development about the ICT [International Crimes Tribunal] came up
during a meeting between Law Minister Anisul Haq and visiting US ambassador at-large for war crimes issues Stephen J Rapp at the Secretariat on Tuesday.
Rapp arrived in Dhaka on Monday morning on a three-day official visit to hold talks with Bangladeshi officials about the ICT affairs.
Some of lawyers of Jamaat-e-Islami leaders who are facing war crimes charges met Rapp at Westin Hotel in the city’s Gulshan area on Monday evening.
The Jamaat lawyers, during the meeting, allegedly suggested Rapp to create pressure on Bangladesh government about holding the trial in another country.
“This demand is totally unrealistic and also not reasonable. However, there is remarkable change regarding the US’ opinion of the wartime crimes trial,” the law minister said when asked by newsmen after he was emerging from the meeting.
The Minister said, “Rapp has raised question about the death penalty provision for the convicted of war crimes…I have told the US envoy that no punishment other than death penalty is enough for the heinous crimes committed during the Liberation War in 1971.”
Anisul Haq however, said that Rapp has expressed satisfaction over the proceedings of war crimes trial. “Except death penalty, the US does not have any objection for appropriate punishment to the war criminals,” he said.
“The US so far has backed out from its previous stance over awarding tough punishments to war crimes convicts. They said death penalty might be given, but wanted to know whether it was the only punishment…”
“In this regard, I told them the ICT has given life in prison wherever it was applicable. I also told them the prosecutors always want the maximum punishment. And it is always the jurisdiction of ICT,” the minister said.
Elaborating his government’s plan about the ICT, he further said, “The government has prepared a draft on the amendment of a law for trying and punishing organisations for the war crimes. It will be placed before the cabinet for approval soon. I can’t disclose the detail of it until it’s draft is presented in the cabinet meeting.”
On the other hand, Rapp also expressed satisfaction about the meeting. “I had a good discussion over holding the trial of crimes against humanity committed in 1917,” he said.
Meanwhile, Rapp appreciated the service and courage of the judges of the ICT dealing with several cases of war crimes on Monday and also visited the War Crimes Investigation Agency.
He had met the judges of ICT-1 and ICT-2 on a courtesy to discuss with them matters of different cases and held talks with the prosecutors led by the chief prosecutor Golam Arief Tipoo at the ICT prosecution office. The US envoy also visited the Liberation War Museum at Segunbagicha in the city.
Law Minister Anisul Haque has categorically rejected a suggestion of holding the trial of 1971 war crimes in another country, terming it “unrealistic” and “unreasonable”.
He, however, expressed satisfaction over the remarkable change regarding opinion of the United States about war crimes trial.
The law minister also rejected another US proposal to find out an alternative to the death penalty for war criminals, as saying ‘no punishment other than death penalty is enough for war criminals as per country’s existing law’.
The latest development about the ICT [International Crimes Tribunal] came up
during a meeting between Law Minister Anisul Haq and visiting US ambassador at-large for war crimes issues Stephen J Rapp at the Secretariat on Tuesday.
Rapp arrived in Dhaka on Monday morning on a three-day official visit to hold talks with Bangladeshi officials about the ICT affairs.
Some of lawyers of Jamaat-e-Islami leaders who are facing war crimes charges met Rapp at Westin Hotel in the city’s Gulshan area on Monday evening.
The Jamaat lawyers, during the meeting, allegedly suggested Rapp to create pressure on Bangladesh government about holding the trial in another country.
“This demand is totally unrealistic and also not reasonable. However, there is remarkable change regarding the US’ opinion of the wartime crimes trial,” the law minister said when asked by newsmen after he was emerging from the meeting.
The Minister said, “Rapp has raised question about the death penalty provision for the convicted of war crimes…I have told the US envoy that no punishment other than death penalty is enough for the heinous crimes committed during the Liberation War in 1971.”
Anisul Haq however, said that Rapp has expressed satisfaction over the proceedings of war crimes trial. “Except death penalty, the US does not have any objection for appropriate punishment to the war criminals,” he said.
“The US so far has backed out from its previous stance over awarding tough punishments to war crimes convicts. They said death penalty might be given, but wanted to know whether it was the only punishment…”
“In this regard, I told them the ICT has given life in prison wherever it was applicable. I also told them the prosecutors always want the maximum punishment. And it is always the jurisdiction of ICT,” the minister said.
Elaborating his government’s plan about the ICT, he further said, “The government has prepared a draft on the amendment of a law for trying and punishing organisations for the war crimes. It will be placed before the cabinet for approval soon. I can’t disclose the detail of it until it’s draft is presented in the cabinet meeting.”
On the other hand, Rapp also expressed satisfaction about the meeting. “I had a good discussion over holding the trial of crimes against humanity committed in 1917,” he said.
Meanwhile, Rapp appreciated the service and courage of the judges of the ICT dealing with several cases of war crimes on Monday and also visited the War Crimes Investigation Agency.
He had met the judges of ICT-1 and ICT-2 on a courtesy to discuss with them matters of different cases and held talks with the prosecutors led by the chief prosecutor Golam Arief Tipoo at the ICT prosecution office. The US envoy also visited the Liberation War Museum at Segunbagicha in the city.
