By Michael Hernandez
WASHINGTON (AA) – The U.S. has voiced concerns regarding the execution of a Bangladeshi Islamist convicted of crimes committed during Bangladesh’s 1971 war of independence.
The State Department said Tuesday that despite improvements to the tribunal process that has tried those accused of committing war crimes during the war, more work needs to be done to “ensure these proceedings meet domestic and international obligations.
“Until these obligations can be consistently met, we have concerns about proceeding with executions,” spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau said in a statement to Anadolu Agency.
“We support bringing to justice those who committed crimes during the war of independence, but we also have remaining concerns about proceeding with executions under these conditions which we will raise with the government of Bangladesh,” she added.
Motiur Rahman Nizami, the leader of Bangladesh’s Jamaat-e-Islami group, had been convicted of committing wartime atrocities, including genocide, rape and torture.
Nizami, 73, was sentenced to death in October 2014 by the International Crimes Tribunal and was hanged 12.10 a.m. local time Wednesday (GMT1810 Tuesday).
Preparations to execute the Jamaat-e-Islami leader began last Thursday when the country’s Supreme Court rejected his request for a review of the death sentence.
On Monday, the court’s final verdict was issued and referred to prison authorities.
Prison authorities then read the verdict to Nizami, who declined to seek the mercy of President Abdul Hamid.
