Court delivered verdict based on false witnesses and evidences, says Mir Quasem’s lawyer

The charges against war crimes convict Mir Quasem Ali and the witnesses produced were ‘fake and fabricated’, says his counsel Khandker Mahbub Hossain adding the court was ‘helpless’ before it.

His remarks came Tuesday after the chief justice-led Appellate Division bench scrapped the senior Jamaat-e-Islami leader’s plea to the review the death penalty for 1971 war crimes.

“The court has ruled based on false witnesses and evidences.

“It had no other option. The law is made in such a way that it somewhat forces (the court) to accept hearsay as evidence,” the chief defence counsel told media at the Supreme Court premises.

Asked whether Mir Quasem would seek presidential clemency, Hossain said that it should be asked to the convict.

“I am a lawyer fighting for the law,” he added.

Khandker Mahbub claimed that the witnesses ‘did not say anything’ to the investigators, but were later ‘prepped at a safe-house’ before producing in the court. “Since there were witnesses, the court was helpless.”

He, however, refrained from saying that the verdict was faulty.

“It’s for the future generations and the legal community across the world to decide whether the verdict is okay after going through the evidences and testimonies.

“Since the Appellate Division ruled, it would be not be appropriate for me to comment on it as the law says whatever the top court decides is justice,” said Khandker Mahbub.