Prosecution happy with Subhan verdict, defence says will appeal

The prosecution has welcomed the death penalty verdict for Jamaat-e-Islami leader Abdus Subhan for his war crimes in Pabna.

One of the defence lawyers, however, said the verdict contained informational and legal errors.

He also said the defence would appeal against the judgment.

Prosecutor Sultan Mahmud Shipon said, “We are satisfied.”

Subhan was given the death sentence for three out of nine war crimes he had committed during the 1971 Liberation War.

He was sentenced to life term in prison for two crimes and five years for another. He was found not guilty on three other changes.

“The court has found his involvement in the charges we brought. The tribunal said he led the war crimes in Pabna. Brutal crimes against humanity took place by misinterpreting Islam,” Shipon said.

Asked whether the prosecution was responsible for the failure to prove two of the charges against Subhan, he said, “We did our best. But the tribunal was not convinced.”

The Jamaat leader’s lawyer Shishir Munir said they thought the verdict had informational and legal errors.

He said the tribunal took into cognisance weak statements by witnesses and evidence provided by the prosecution.

Shishir, a former leader of the Jamaat’s student affiliate Islami Chhatra Shibir, hoped the Supreme Court would absolve Subhan.