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03Sep16

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Islamist Party Figure Executed in Bangladesh for '71 Atrocities

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Bangladesh on Saturday executed a leading figure in an Islamist party after he was convicted of committing atrocities during the 1971 war of independence from Pakistan, the law minister said.

The man, Mir Quasem Ali, 63, a financier for the Jamaat-e-Islami party, was hanged at a prison on the outskirts of Dhaka, the capital, Law Minister Anisul Haq said. Mr. Ali was convicted of murder, confinement, torture and incitement to religious hatred during the war.

The war crimes tribunal set up by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 2010 has set off violent protests and drawn criticism from opposition politicians, who say it is being used to silence her political foes, a charge the government denies.

Human rights groups say the tribunal's procedures fall short of international standards. The government rejects that assertion.

Since 2013, five Jamaat leaders have been executed for war crimes.

About three million people were killed and thousands of women were raped during the nine-month war, official figures show.

[Source: International New York Times, Reuters, Dhaka, 03Sep16]

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This document has been published on 08Sep16 by the Equipo Nizkor and Derechos Human Rights. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.