ATM Azharul addresses Jamaat rally in Shahbagh after release from jail
ATM Azharul Islam was acquitted of all charges by the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court yesterday
Jamaat's senior leader ATM Azharul Islam, who was previously sentenced to death for crimes against humanity committed during the 1971 Liberation War, joined the party's rally at Shahbagh today after being released from prison.
At the rally, he said, the country got its new freedom because the students and the public took to the streets. He alleged that judicial killings were carried out on Jamaat leaders in a 'conspiratorial' manner.
He also said he was given death penalty on false charges. He alleged that he was implicated in false cases of crimes against humanity just because he joined Jamaat-e-Islam.
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ATM Azharul Islam was acquitted of all charges by the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court yesterday (27 May).
Earlier on 22 April, the Appellate Division stayed the hearing of a review petition submitted by Azharul Islam in the case till 6 May.
Following his arrest from his Moghbazar house on 22 August 2012, the Jamaat-e-Islami leader faced nine charges of "crimes against humanity".
According to the chargesheet, he was "responsible" for killing 1,256 people, abducting 17, and raping 13 women during the Liberation War in Rangpur region.
Besides, he was said to have tortured civilians, set fire to hundreds of houses and committed other atrocities.
ATM Azharul Islam was accused of six counts of crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War in the Rangpur region, including genocide, murder, abduction, rape, detention, torture, grievous injury, looting, and arson.
On 30 December 2014, the International Crimes Tribunal sentenced Azharul Islam, then Assistant Secretary General of Jamaat-e-Islami, to death on charges two, three, and four. Additionally, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison for abduction, torture, rape, and other inhumane acts under charge five, and to five years for torture under charge six.
On 28 January 2015, the death-row convict submitted a petition to the Appellate Division claiming his innocence.
Following an appeal hearing, the Appellate Division under a bench led by then-Chief Justice Syed Mahmud upheld the death penalty in a verdict delivered on 23 October 2019.
The full text of the Appellate Division's verdict was released on 15 March 2020, after which ATM Azharul filed a review petition on 19 July 2020, submitting a 23-page appeal that outlined 14 legal arguments against the verdict.
Following the hearing of that petition, the Appellate Division on 26 February this year granted leave to appeal and instructed that a summary of the appeal be submitted within two weeks.
