ZI Khan Panna steps back from defending Hasina in ICT cases
In a video message posted on his Facebook today (27 November), he said, “I will not fight on behalf of Sheikh Hasina in a court she does not have faith.”
Supreme Court lawyer ZI Khan Panna has said he will not represent former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and six other absconding accused in two International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) cases filed over crimes against humanity, including enforced disappearances and torture.
In a video message posted on his Facebook today (27 November), he said, "I will not fight on behalf of Sheikh Hasina in a court she does not have faith."
He added, "Although the state appointed me as a state defence counsel for Hasina, I have not yet received the formal appointment letter. Once I receive the letter, I will formally communicate my decision to step down."
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Panna also mentioned that he would be representing his friend Advocate Fazlur Rahman in a case recently filed against him.
In addition, he announced that he would take part in the legal defence for Sajeeb Wazed Joy and Saima Wazed Putul, both convicted in separate Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) cases.
Earlier, on 23 November, a two-member bench of the ICT-1, headed by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Majumdar, appointed ZI Khan Panna as state-assigned counsel to represent Hasina and others in the two cases.
On that day, Panna applied to act as the state defence counsel for Hasina. The tribunal accepted his application and formally appointed him.
