Bangladesh International Crimes Tribunal Sentences Fugitive to Death for Role in 1971 Liberation War (June 10, 2015) [1]
On June 10, 2015, the Bangladesh International Crimes Tribunal sentenced [3] Syed Mohammed Hasan Ali, who was put on trial in absentia, to death for crimes that included murder, genocide, abduction, confinement, and torture. The crimes relate to his activities during the 1971 Liberation war in Bangladesh, where Ali was claimed to have been a member of an auxiliary force of the Pakistani troops with the purpose of “identifying and eliminating all those who were perceived to be sympathized with the liberation of Bangladesh, individuals belonging to minority religious groups especially the Hindus, political groups belonging to Awami League and other pro-Independence political parties, Bangalee intellectuals and civilian population of Bangladesh.” According to a news article [4], he “is the fifth person to be convicted of war crimes in absentia since the trials started in 2010” and “[t]his was the 19th verdict delivered by the country's two war crimes tribunals since Bangladesh initiated the trials of suspected war criminals in 2010.”