Md. Mobarak Hossain of Akhaura in Brahmanbaria has been acquitted of charges of crimes against humanity committed during the Liberation War of 1971.
The Appellate Division, led by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed, delivered the verdict on Wednesday, allowing Mobarak’s appeal filed 11 years ago and overturning the judgment of the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT).
This is the first time in the country’s history that anyone convicted in a crimes against humanity case related to the Liberation War has been acquitted upon appeal, Mobarak’s lawyers stated.
Mobarak had filed his appeal on December 18, 2014, challenging the ICT verdict that sentenced him to death. The hearing on the appeal began on July 8 this year and concluded on July 22. The court then fixed July 30 for delivering the verdict, which was announced around 10:45 am on Wednesday.
During the pronouncement of the verdict, senior lawyers SM Shahjahan and Imran A Siddique appeared on behalf of Mobarak, while prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal, Gazi MH Tamim was present.
In 2014, the ICT-1 sentenced Mobarak to death for one charge and life imprisonment for another out of five charges brought against him. He was acquitted of the remaining three charges. The tribunal’s verdict noted that Mobarak was linked to Jamaat-e-Islami politics during the Liberation War and later became a union-level Rukn (member) of the party before eventually joining the Awami League.
Following the verdict, senior lawyer SM Shahjahan said, “Mobarak has been acquitted of the charges that sentenced him to death and life imprisonment. The tribunal’s verdict has been overturned. Unless there is any other case against him, there is no bar to his release from jail.”
