Feb. 28
PAKISTAN:
The Kafkaesque reality of Pakistan's blasphemy laws -- Sherry Rehman,
Pakistan's ambassador to the US, is under police investigation for alleged
blasphemy after making the case on television for the law to be re-examined and
for the death penalty to be removed.
In Franz Kafka's novel, The Trial, the protagonist Josef K. is unexpectedly
arrested by two unidentified agents from an unspecified agency for an
unspecified crime. For the duration of the story, neither Josef nor the reader
knows what he is supposed to have done, even when he is eventually killed for
his crime.
The situation surrounding Pakistan's controversial blasphemy laws is not
dissimilar. The law means that anyone found guilty of defaming the Prophet
Muhammed can be sentenced to death. Many facing such accusations have been
forced into hiding or killed by mobs before they even stand trial.
Blasphemy laws in and of themselves are not unusual: many countries across the
world have legislation which restricts what one can say about religion. The
problem in Pakistan comes from the exceptionally harsh penalties, and the light
burden of proof. The law sets out no guidance on what constitutes blasphemy, no
standards for evidence, no requirement to prove intent, and no safeguards to
punish those who make false allegations. This means that, essentially, the
standard for blasphemy is whatever offends the accuser. As such, it is
frequently used to persecute minorities or settle personal vendettas.
Witnesses can refuse to repeat the alleged blasphemy in court, in case they
themselves become culpable. There have been stories of judges refusing to hear
evidence defending the accused for fear of offending religious zealots.
Blasphemy is a non-compoundable crime, meaning that cases cannot be settled out
of court. Once a charge is filed, it is difficult for the case to be quashed,
and the accuser cannot simply drop charges. It is not unthinkable that someone
could be accused of blasphemy and sentenced to death without ever being told
exactly what they are meant to have said and thus being unable to disprove it.
Suddenly, Kafka's Josef F doesn't seem quite so surreal.
That blasphemy laws are a serious impediment to freedom of speech goes without
saying. But the extent to which this is true has been highlighted yet again in
recent days, with the news on 21 February that Sherry Rehman, Pakistan's
ambassador to the US, is under police investigation over allegations of
blasphemy.
The basic facts of the case are as follows. In late 2010, before Rehman had
been posted to the US, she lodged a private members' bill seeking to abolish
the death penalty for blasphemy after Aasia Bibi, a Christian woman, was
sentenced to death. 2 other politicians who were campaigning for a change to
the law were murdered soon afterwards. Salman Taseer was shot in January 2011,
and Shahbaz Batti in March 2011. Blasphemy reform was shelved soon afterwards.
On 30 November 2010, before Rehman's private members' bill had been thrown out,
she appeared on Dunya TV's news programme, Dunya Meray Aagay. She repeated her
calls for the law to be re-examined and for the death penalty to be removed.
Remarks she made on the show prompted Muhammad Faheem Akhtar Gill, a marble
dealer in Multan, to lobby police to register a case against her for blasphemy.
After nearly 3 years of persuasion, his efforts have been successful, and the
police have started an investigation under the orders of the Supreme Court.
Given the aforementioned problems with the blasphemy legislation, the media
cannot report what Rehman is supposed to have said, in case newspapers fall
foul of the law. People are clearly curious: a Google search for "Sherry Rehman
- what did she say" yields 21,800 results.
That a lawmaker should face a criminal investigation for discussing a
parliamentary matter is, once again, Kafkaesque. The law of parliamentary
privilege applies in Pakistan. It gives members of parliament legal immunity
for actions done or statements made in the course of their legislative duties.
The idea underpinning this law is that parliamentary business shouldn't be
impeded by restrictions on free speech. In the United Kingdom, where libel laws
are the biggest drag on free speech, MPs cannot be censured for defamatory
statements made while they are in the Houses of Parliament. Given that
blasphemy laws are arguably the most significant restriction on free speech in
Pakistan, it would not be unreasonable to expect a similar immunity.
Of course, parliamentary privilege covers lawmakers while they are actually in
parliament - and when Rehman was speaking to Dunya TV, she clearly was not in
the parliament building. But the fundamental fact remains: the blasphemy reform
bill was passing through the legislature and a lawmaker is now facing charges
for discussing it. A crucial part of a functioning democracy is the ability to
openly and publicly debate significant legislative changes before they are
passed into the statute book. If proposed legal changes cannot be openly
discussed without politicians facing prosecution, it has serious ramifications
for the very functioning of the Pakistani state. It is the public that will
suffer if laws and policies can???t be debated and scrutinised.
The blasphemy law has created and facilitated a culture of vigilantism. As soon
as someone has been accused of blasphemy, they live under the threat of death.
When the young Christian girl Rimsha Masih was falsely accused of blasphemy
last year, her family was forced into hiding. According to the Islamabad-based
Centre for Security Studies, at least 52 people accused of blasphemy have been
killed since 1990. Many die at the hands of angry mobs before they are
convicted. Given this high threat of violence, it is perhaps unsurprising that
politicians are afraid to touch blasphemy law.
In Pakistan, as in my countries across the world, those who shout the loudest
end up wielding the most power. Unfortunately, extremist or conservative
elements are more than capable of invoking religion to stir up mass outrage and
violence. There is no doubt that this has had a chilling effect on free speech
across the board; campaigners working in areas from women's rights to internet
censorship can find themselves dismissed as blasphemers or immoral people, and
facing the associated backlash.
Politicians should not be above the law (a particularly sore point given recent
corruption allegations), but nor should they be penalised for doing their jobs.
A situation where the reform of a particular law cannot be discussed in case
the discussion itself breaks that law is worthy of a Kafka story, but not of a
healthy and functioning state.
(source: New Statesman)
AFGHANISTAN/IRAN:
Hundreds take to streets against executions in Iran
Hundreds of angry residents in the western province of Herat blocked the Herat
city's highway on Thursday morning to protest against the execution of Afghans
in Iran. The protesters also called on the Iranian regime to hand over the dead
bodies of the Afghans to their families and urged the Afghan government to
follow the issue of Afghan citizens execution in Iran.
One of the protesters, Mir Khan, told Pajhwok Afghan News: "My brother and
nephew were among the 13 people of my village who were shot dead a few months
back by Iranian guards."
Their bodies were yet to be handed to relatives, the protestor said,
complaining that the Afghan government and the international community had done
nothing to resolve the problem.
Last week, about 20 bodies of the Afghans executed in Iran were brought to
Takhar province. President Hamid Karzai on Monday tasked the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs to discuss the issue with Iranian regime officials, according
to Afghan news agencies.
(source: National Council of Resistance of Iran)
INDIA:
Labour MP John McDonnell urges India to end the death penalty
The British Government should use "every mechanism of communication" to urge
India to end the death penalty, a Labour MP has said.
John McDonnell said Britain was "uniquely placed" with its shared history with
India to urge its government to halt executions and sign up to the UN
Convention opposing the death penalty.
Introducing a backbench business Commons debate on the Kesri Lehar petition to
abolish the death penalty in India, the MP for Hayes and Harlington paid
tribute to the campaigners, many of whom sat watching the debate in the public
gallery.
He said that last year when the "first inkling" was received that India was
considering ending its 8 year moratorium on implementing the death penalty,
members of the Punjabi community in the UK, especially the Punjabi Sikhs came
together and launched the campaign.
They secured more than 100,000 names on their petition to abolish the death
penalty and address other human rights concerns.
Mr McDonnell said "fears were compounded" when in November 2012 India ended its
moratorium and carried out an execution, with a hanging taking place in
February this year.
In December 2012 the UN voted for the 4th time for a resolution calling for a
global moratorium on executions and while 111 countries voted for, India voted
against.
He argued there was a "real risk" that with more than 400 people on death row
in India and 100 more sentenced to death each year, many more executions were
likely to follow unless action was taken.
He said: "First of all we need to recognise the historical relationship between
India and Britain means that the UK Government is uniquely placed to urge the
Indian government to end the death penalty.
"Therefore I'm calling on the UK Government to use every forum, every mechanism
of communication established with India both formal and informal, to press the
Indian government to halt the executions now and then to sign up to the UN
Convention opposing the death penalty.
"I wrote to the Prime Minister before his recent visit to India to urge him to
raise this issue with the Indian government and I hope that the minister can
report back on that, and the continuing pressure that successive governments
now across party have been placing upon the Indian government."
Mr McDonnell urged Britain to raise the issue with European partners to seek a
joint representation from all of Europe to India on the subject.
He also said Britain should work with other countries to raise this call within
the UN, adding: "With a UN Human Rights Council meeting imminent this is an
ideal time to place this back on the UN agenda."
He appealed to India to "embrace humanity by ending the state killing once and
for all".
The Backbench Business motion, signed by a cross-party group of MPs, states:
"That this House welcomes the national petition launched by the Kesri Lehar
campaign urging the UK Government to press the Indian government to sign and
ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and the UN
Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhumane or Degrading Treatment or
Punishment, which encompasses the death penalty, with the result that India
would abolish the death penalty and lift this threat from Balwant Singh Rajoana
and others."
Foreign Office Minister Hugo Swire said the death penalty "undermined human
dignity" and said the British Government continued to aspire to its global
abolition.
He told the Commons: "Use of the death penalty in India is a complex issue and
it continues to be the subject of much debate across Indian society.
"It was disappointing India's de facto moratorium on the death penalty which
had existed for over eight years ended with the hangings of Mohammad Ajmal
Kasab and Mohammad Afzal Guru last November and February this year
respectively.
"Kasab and Guru were convicted of very serious crimes, involvement in the
Mumbai attacks in 2008 and the 2001 attack on the Indian Parliament. It is
important to remember the impact such acts of terrorism have on the people of
India.
"Notwithstanding this, it remains the British Government policy to oppose the
death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle. I hope the Indian
government re-establishes a moratorium on executions in line with the global
trend towards the abolition of capital punishment."
Mr Swire said he had reiterated the Government's position to the Indian
administration last week when he accompanied Prime Minister David Cameron to
the country.
And he said the India-EU Human Rights Dialogue would present a further
opportunity.
The minister added: "They listened to what I had to say, was aware of our
consistent position, and stressed to me the very real fear in India created by
these acts of terrorism."
Shadow foreign office minister John Spellar said: "I congratulate Kesri Lehar
for their campaign.
"Uniting the community, whatever their views may be, and also gaining very wide
public awareness of the issues we are discussing today.
"I also reaffirm the united determination of this Parliament on all sides to
secure justice for the Sikh community of the Punjab."
(source: The Independent)
*******************************
UK Government confirms opposition to death penalty in Inida; Bhullar and
Rajoana cases find specific reference
On the eve of the debate in the UK Parliament on the Abolition of the Death
Penalty in India the Sikh Federation (UK) has been copied a letter dated 27
February 2013 sent by the Rt Hon Hugo Swire, Minister of State at the Foreign
and Commonwealth Office.
The letter to his counterpart the Rt Hon John Spellar, a shadow Foreign
Minister notes the UK Government's disappointment that India ended its de-facto
moratorium on the death penalty in November 2012. The letter states: 'it is the
longstanding policy of the British Government to oppose the death penalty in
all circumstances.'
Rt Hon Hugo Swire has confirmed that he met Indian Foreign Minister Ranjal
Mathai in the Indian Ministry of External Affairs last week on 19 February in
New Delhi as part of the UK Prime Minister's delegation and raised the UK
Government's concerns.
The letter, a copy of which is available with the Sikh Siyasat News (SSN)
continues to state:
'I am aware of the high level of interest amongst the British Sikh community
and Parliament in the cases of Professor Davinderpal Singh Bhullar and Balwant
Singh Rajoana. I will continue to monitor these case closely . . . The British
Government will also continue to make its position clear to the Indian
government, both bilaterally and through the EU, and urge them to introduce a
formal moratorium with a view to eventual abolition of the death penalty.'
Bhai Amrik Singh, the Chair of the Sikh Federation (UK)
In a statement released by S. Gurjeet Singh, Secretary of Sikh Federation UK -
Bhai Amrik Singh (Chair of the Sikh Federation - UK), said: 'We appreciate the
UK Government's response to our lobbying of the UK Prime Minister, David
Cameron before he left for India and our demand that the issue of the death
penalty and the cases of Professor Davinderpal Singh Bhullar and Balwant Singh
Rajoana be raised when he visited India last week.'
'The letter to Rt Hon John Spellar does not come as a surprise as the UK
Government are aware of the proposals we have asked MPs to push in the
Parliamentary debate on 28 February and this is one way to counter calls for
the UK Government and EU Members States to take the matter up at the United
Nations General Assembly', he added.
(soure: sikhsiyasat.com)
**********************************
Death for 2 in Anitha murder case
The District Sessions Court here has sentenced to death the 1st and 2nd
accused, Kalathil Nassar, 37, of Thariode, and Abdul Gafoor, 31, of
Padinjarathara, who were found guilty of the murder of a 20-year-old college
student about 2 years ago.
The case pertains to the murder of Anitha, daughter of Viswanathan Nair,
Padinjarathara, on August 9, 2011. According to the prosecution, Anitha, a
final-year BA economics student of a parallel college in Mananthavady, was
raped and strangled to death by the duo inside the reserve forest area at
Appapara near Thirunelli. The 1st accused, a well digger, lured Anitha with
promises of marriage and sexually abused her several times. The girl's
persistent demand for marriage forced him to resort to the barbaric crime, the
prosecution submitted.
The victim's decomposed body was found by tribesmen near the Forest Division
office in Appapara on August 21, 2011.
Vettikattil Muhammad, the third accused, was acquitted after the prosecution
could not submit any substantial evidence proving his direct involvement in the
murder.
While sentencing the duo under Section 302 (murder offence) of the Indian Penal
Code on Wednesday, Judge M J Sakthidharan said the accused were found guilty of
the charges of conspiracy, abduction, rape, murder, robbery and concealment of
evidence.
The convicts should also separately undergo rigorous imprisonment (RI) under
various sections of the Indian Penal Code that include a 10-year RI and a fine
of 5,000 for abduction. A 7-year RI for conspiracy, concealment of evidence and
theft, and a fine of 40,000 each were also slapped on them.
If the convicts fail to remit the penalty, they would have to undergo an
additional 6 years of rigorous imprisonment, the court held.
(source: New Indian Express)
*******************************************
Delhi gang-rape case: Minor accused charged with rape, murder
Juvenile Justice Board on Thursday framed rape and murder charges against minor
accused in the December 16 Delhi gang-rape case.
The family of the Delhi gang-rape victim had demanded death penalty for the
juvenile accused in the incident.
"Sazaa kisi sey kam nahin honaa chahiye, chahey woh juvenile hai ya kuchh bhi
hai (the punishment should not be less even if he is a juvenile)," Nirbhaya's
father had said.
He said the punishment should be equal for all. "Sab ko barabar. Barabar maney
phansi (same punishment for all, in other words death sentence)," he said.
"The family is not ready to accept that the sixth accused get anything less
than death penalty," the victim's brother had said.
(soure: The Times of India)
CHINA:
Chinese sailors' killers to be executed
A Chinese court ordered execution by lethal injection for 4 people convicted in
the 2011 killing of 13 Chinese sailors on the Mekong River.
Facing executions set for Friday are Naw Kham, identified as a Myanmar drug
lord, and 3 accomplices, whose death sentences were upheld by a court in
December.
A court in Kunming in southwestern China's Yunnan province Wednesday said the 4
will be executed in the city, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.
The other 3 were identified as Hsang Kham of Thailand, Yi Lai, who is
stateless, and Zha Xika of Laos.
Xinhua said the court rejected their appeals and upheld the death sentences.
China's Supreme Court, which later reviewed their cases, signed an execution
order, Xinhua reported.
The lower court has already arranged for Thai and Myanmar consular officials
and relatives to meet with the convicts, the report said.
In the December decision, another suspect's death sentence was upheld with a
reprieve, while a 6th suspect was given an 8-year prison term.
All 6 were convicted of intentional homicide, drug trafficking, kidnapping and
hijacking.
Naw Kham was accused of being the head of the largest armed drug-trafficking
gang on the Mekong River, which flows through China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand,
Cambodia and Vietnam.
Naw Kham's gang was accused of attacking two Chinese cargo ships in October
2011, killing 13 Chinese sailors. The gang also was accused of being involved
in a kidnapping-for-ransom case targeting Chinese citizens on the Mekong.
Official Chinese media reported a joint police operation by China, Laos,
Myanmar and Thailand led to the gang members' arrest last year.
(source: United Press International)
*******************************
China announces death penalty for Myanmarese drug lord
A Myanmarese drug lord, nicknamed the Godfather, and his 3 accomplices
convicted of murdering 13 Chinese sailors will be executed on Friday, the
government announced on Thursday in a rare public statement on death penalties.
China is known to execute an unknown number of accused every year - by some
accounts the largest number in the world - but seldom makes official
announcements about executions.
The 4 accused will be given lethal injections on Friday under the supervision
of the Kunming People's Procuratorate in south China.
The ring leader, Naw Kham and his gang members allegedly planned and colluded
with a group of soldiers from Thailand to attack on 2 Chinese cargo ships, the
Hua Ping and Yu Xing 8, on October 5, 2011 on the Mekong River.
Naw Kham was the boss of the largest armed drug trafficking gang on the Mekong
River, which flows through China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and
Vietnam.
According to the government statement, under Naw Kham's instructions, several
of his subordinates were also found to have kidnapped Chinese sailors and
hijacked cargo ships in exchange for ransom in early April 2011.
"The gang was broken up in early 2012 in a joint operation conducted by police
from China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand after the brutal murders of Chinese
sailors triggered calls to rein in rampant crime in the border region,"
state-run Xinhua news agency said.
Reports said the Chinese government had also thought about using drones to
track and wipe out the group.
The gang was also known as the "Mekong River murderers."
They were brought to China after the arrest. In a swift trial, Naw Kham and the
other 3 convicts were given death penalties on November 6, 2012.
Another 2 members of Naw Kham's gang, identified as Zha Bo and Zha Tuobo,
received a death sentence with reprieve and 8 years in prison, respectively.
After their appeals were rejected by the court, their death sentences were
submitted to the Supreme People's Court (SPC) in Beijing for review. The SPC
president signed an execution order after review procedures were completed.
The Kunming Intermediate People's Court received a judgment regarding the
judicial review, as well as the execution order on February 22. The convicts
were informed of the judgment on February 24.
The Xinhua reported added that the court has arranged for the consulates of
Thailand and Myanmar in Kunming, as well as the convicts' relatives, to meet
with the convicts.
(source: Hindustan Times)
BANGLADESH:
Death Sentence for Bangladesh Islamist Sparks Fatal Clashes
Bangladesh's war crimes tribunal sentenced a senior member of the country's
biggest Islamic party to death, sparking fatal violence nationwide.
A panel of judges found Jamaat-e-Islami leader Delwar Hossain Sayedee guilty of
committing crimes against humanity during Bangladesh's independence struggle in
1971, Syed Haider Ali, a prosecutor, said in comments on live television.
The tribunal's 1st verdict since protesters began occupying a Dhaka square to
demand capital punishment for the guilty was followed by clashes between
activists of Jamaat and security forces, which the Daily Star newspaper
reported left as many as 13 people dead, three of them policemen.
The International Crimes Tribunal's rulings have reopened wounds from the war
more than 4 decades ago that led to the founding of Bangladesh. Thousands of
protesters demanding the most severe punishments for those convicted have
occupied Shahbag square in central Dhaka since judges sentenced another Jamaat
leader to life in prison on Feb. 5.
Sayedee, 73, who was in court when the verdict was delivered, faced 19 charges
including the murder of civilians, collaborating with the Pakistani army to
kill and torture unarmed people, torching homes and carrying out atrocities
against the Hindu community, according to a court document detailing the
indictment. 8 charges were proved beyond reasonable doubt, Ali said.
"It's a victory day, it's a day of joy. Through this verdict, the nation is
seeing the resurgence of liberation war spirits," Attorney General Mahbubey
Alam told reporters at the tribunal premises in Dhaka amid heightened security.
Fight Continues
Sayedee was sentenced to death on 2 specific charges of killing unarmed people
in the southern district of Pirojpur, Alam said.
The judges -- led by Justice A.T.M. Fazle Kabir -- said in their summary of the
verdict that international law imposed no statute of limitations on war crimes.
Demonstrators led by Imran Sarkar, convener of a group known as the Bloggers
and Online Activists Network, called for the death penalty for Sayedee as they
poured into the capital's financial district of Motijheel yesterday.
"We won't give up the fight until we get justice," Sarkar said in a statement
to the media. The protesters later relocated to Shahbag, the rallying point for
anti-Jamaat activists. Jamaat called for a national strike, demanding Sayedee
be freed.
Dhaka Rallies
At the end of British colonial rule in 1947, East and West Pakistan were
separated by 2,000 kilometers (1,241 miles) of Indian territory. Pakistani
troops in 1971 attempted to quell a nationalist uprising in the east that was
triggered by the jailing of Hasina's father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who had led
his Awami League to victory in elections. The war ended 9 months later with the
creation of Bangladesh after Indian forces helped defeat Pakistan's army.
As crowds swelled in Shahbag, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed Feb. 17
empowered the tribunal to punish any organization whose members carried out
crimes during the independence fight. The move sparked reports the government
was preparing to ban Jamaat, an extremist group which sided with Pakistan
during the war and whose members account for nine of the dozen people facing
the tribunal.
Previously judges could only put individuals on trial. In another change,
prosecutors can now appeal any of the panel's verdicts.
Historic Wrong
In a sign of the widespread anger the alleged mass murders, rapes and
abductions four decades ago can still provoke, the Dhaka protest site has drawn
bloggers, writers, singers, teachers, students, and the country's cricket team.
Police say the gathering has at times swelled to 100,000 people.
While the prime minister says the tribunal is about righting an historic wrong,
opponents have called the trials politically motivated. Jamaat is an ally of
Hasina's main rival, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, and won nearly 5 % of
votes cast in the nation's parliamentary election in 2008, according to the
Bangladesh Election Commission.
The Shahbag protests began after the tribunal Feb. 5 gave a jail term to Jamaat
leader Abdul Quader Mollah.
The protesters defend their call for the death penalty for the guilty by saying
that people like Mollah would be freed from jail if Jamaat once again has a
role in government.
Sayedee was involved in the abduction, confinement and rape of women, including
Hindus, in Pirojpur, according to the court document. He also forced some
Hindus to convert to Islam, an act the court considers a crime against
humanity.
(source: Bloomberg News)
*************************************
Bangladesh sentences Jamaat-e-Islami leader to death for war crimes--Islamic
party enforces general strike on day Delwar Hossain Sayedee is found guilty of
crimes relating to independence war
A special war crimes tribunal in Bangladesh has sentenced the leader of an
Islamic political party to death for crimes stemming from the nation's 1971
fight for independence, a politically charged decision that sparked violent
protests.
The Jamaat-e-Islami leader Delwar Hossain Sayedee was found guilty of 8 counts
out of 20 involving mass killings, rape and atrocities during the 9-month war
against Pakistan, the prosecutor Syed Haider Ali said. The verdict was
announced by the presiding tribunal judge ATM Fazle Kabir in a packed
courtroom.
"Justice has been done to those who lost their loved ones at the hands of
Sayedee," Ali said.
Lawyers for the defendant boycotted the tribunal during the verdict and
rejected it as politically motivated. Sayedee's lawyer Abdur Razzak said they
would appeal.
Jamaat-e-Islami was enforcing a nationwide general strike on Thursday to
denounce the trial and to demand Sayedee be freed.
Supporters of Sayedee clashed with police in Sirajganj district while
protesting against the verdict, leaving 2 people dead, the private television
channel Ekattor TV reported. Police were not immediately available to comment
on the reported deaths.
Sayedee is the 3rd defendant to be convicted of crimes against humanity since
Sheikh Hasina's government initiated the tribunal in 2010.
In the 1st verdict in January, the tribunal sentenced the former Jamaat leader
Abul Kalam Azad to death on similar charges.
Another Jamaat leader, Abdul Quader Mollah, was sentenced to life in prison in
February for atrocities during the war.
Another 7 top leaders of Jamaat are on trial for their alleged role in the
atrocities during the war.
Jamaat-e-Islami, the largest Islamic party in Muslim-majority Bangladesh, had
campaigned against the 1971 independence war, but it denies committing any
atrocities.
Jamaat, a key ally of the country's largest opposition party, the Bangladesh
Nationalist party, led by the former premier Khaleda Zia, was a partner in her
government from 2001 to 2006.
Zia's party has questioned the conduct of the tribunal, saying the trial was
aimed at destroying the opposition.
International human rights organisations also questioned the fairness of the
trial, referring to the disappearance of a witness for Sayedee.
Bangladesh says the 1971 war left 3 million people dead, 200,000 women raped
and forced millions to take shelter in neighbouring India.
(source: The Guardian)
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