Court doesn’t compromise: ICT-1 chairman

The tribunal set up to try the war crimes of 1971 is guided by ‘conscience, laws and the Constitution’, the head of International Crimes Tribunal-1 said as he began delivering the verdict in the Motiur Rahman Nizami trial.

“We have no orders or directives from elsewhere. We heed to nothing except the law and the Constitution,” said Justice M Enayetur Rahim before announcing his much-awaited judgment on Wednesday.

Nizami was found guilty of eight among the 16 charges of conspiracy, genocide, murder, rape, deportation, persecution and incitement levelled against him.

He said the tribunal could not reply to the public comments and rumours circulating for long about the delay in the verdict.

“We cannot respond to every remark or rumour about the tribunal. We sit here mutely and those making these comments should remember that.”