Dhaka (AsiaNews) - This morning the Bangladesh Supreme Court commuted the death sentence imposed on Delwar Hossain Sayeedi, vice president of Jamaat-e-Islami (Islamic fundamentalist party) to life in prison. In March 2013, the international tribunal for war crimes had condemned the Islamic leader to death for crimes against humanity. However, the Supreme Court judges have upheld his appeal.
Known as Allamah, Sayeedi was found guilty - during
the war of liberation in 1971
- of collaborating with the Pakistani army in the kidnapping and rape of three women; of murder, torture, theft; setting fire to houses of Hindus and forcing members of that religion to convert to Islam and to leave the country.
His death sentence sparked violent protests last year. After the pronouncement, Jamaat supporters and members from throughout Bangladesh clashed with
the police. On March
7, 2013 - a week after the court's verdict - at
least 80 people were dead
and about 200 injured.
Established by the Awami League (governing party), the international tribunals for war pursued, tried and
convicted several members of Jamaat,
and some members of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP nationalist
opposition). According to the Islamic Party and the
Nationalist Party, these courts were
used as a political tool of vendetta
by Awami.
However Ganajagaran Mancha activists, a secular
and anti-fundamentalist organization,
have already expressed their opposition
to the commutation of sentence
decided today by
the Supreme Court. Imran H
Sarkar, spokesman for the movement,
said that the justice system "has
been compromised".