Action Alert: Bangladesh – Commute the death sentence for Jamaat Leader

Action Alert: Bangladesh – Commute the death sentence for Jamaat Leader
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Contents

1. Action Required

2. Summary

3. Background

4. Sample Letters

1. Action Required

Please write an urgent letter to the High Commissioner / Ambassador of Bangladesh in your country demanding to commute the death sentence handed down to Jamaat leader Nizami immediately.

2. Summary

Bangladesh Jamaat leader, Maulana Motiur Rahman Nizami, sentenced to death by the war crimes tribunal, is at risk of execution this month, IHRC has received reports.

He has denied the charges saying they are politically motivated.

IHRC requests all campaigners to take immediate action and urge for the withdrawal of his death sentence. Please find sample letters at the end of this alert.

3. Background

Maulana Motiur Rahman Nizami, is the current Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islaami in Bangladesh. He was arrested on 4 May 2011 on allegations of smuggling arms to Assamese insurgents in India. On 30 January 2014, Nizami and 13 other individuals were sentenced to death by hanging after being found guilty of smuggling arms.

Nizami has denied the charges saying they are politically motivated. He has been Ameer of the Jamaat since 2001, preceded by Ghlam Azam, who is also detained for war crimes.

Nizami’s is yet another death sentence to be handed down by the ruling party to opposition leaders. Under the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), set up in 2010, Awami League, has convicted many Jamaat leaders charged with war crimes committed during the 1971 war. The ICT has been condemned by human rights organisations and opposition groups for failing to meet international standards of justice and for allegedly being used as a tool to weaken political rivals.

IHRC has received reports that Nizami is at a risk of execution this month. IHRC urges all campaigners to write to the High Commissioner / Ambassador of Bangladesh to your country as well as your Foreign Secretary and urge for an immediate rescinding of the death sentence.

4. Sample Letters

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Sample letters are given below for your convenience. Please note that model letters can be sent directly or adjusted as necessary to include further details. If you receive a reply to the letter you send, we request you to send a copy of the letter you send and the reply you received, to IHRC. This is very important as it helps IHRC to monitor the situation with regards to our campaigns and to improve upon the current model letters.

a. Letter to the High Commissioner / Ambassador of Bangladesh to your country

[For UK campaigners]

[Your Name]

[Your address]

H.E. Mohamed Mijarul Quays

hc@bhclondon.org.uk

Your Excellency Mohamed Mijarul Quayes,

Assalam Alykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuhu

Re: Calling for immediate withdrawal of death sentence against Jamaat leader Nizami

I demand an immediate withdrawal of the death sentence handed down to Maulana Motiur Rahman Nizami, the current Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islaami.

Nizami, who was arrested and detained under allegations of war crimes has categorically denied all charges against him and considers them politically motivated.

The ICT has been condemned by human rights organisations and eminent lawyers for lack of transparency, failing to meet international standards of justice and for allegedly being used as a tool to weaken political rivals. Appalling discrepancies have been reported throughout the trials of the Jamaat leaders including collusion between judges, lawyers and government ministers, intimidation and biased selection of witnesses as well as changing documents admitted in court as evidence.

The recent execution of Jamaat-e-Islaami former leader Abdul Kader Mullah on 12 December 2013 under this allegedly unjust system of law has horrified me. I fear the same for Nizami.

The government of Bangladesh cannot use the horrors of the war of independence as a pretext to persecute political opposition figures.

I therefore demand that Nizami’s death sentence is immediately commuted. I look forward to your immediate annulment of his death sentence.

Yours sincerely,

[Name]

a. Letter to the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh

[Your Name]

[Your address]

H.E. Mr. Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali MP

Email: http://www.mofa.gov.bd/index.php?option=com_contact&view=contact&id=1&Itemid=29

Honourable Foreign Minister,

Assalam Alykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuhu

Re: Calling for immediate withdrawal of death sentence against Jamaat leader Nizami

I demand an immediate withdrawal of the death sentence handed down to Maulana Motiur Rahman Nizami, the current Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islaami.

Nizami, who was arrested and detained under allegations of war crimes has categorically denied all charges against him and considers them politically motivated.

The ICT has been condemned by human rights organisations and eminent lawyers for lack of transparency, failing to meet international standards of justice and for allegedly being used as a tool to weaken political rivals. Appalling discrepancies have been reported throughout the trials of the Jamaat leaders including collusion between judges, lawyers and government ministers, intimidation and biased selection of witnesses as well as changing documents admitted in court as evidence.

The recent execution of Jamaat-e-Islaami former leader Abdul Kader Mullah on 12 December 2013 under this allegedly unjust system of law has horrified me. I fear the same for Nizami.

The government of Bangladesh cannot use the horrors of the war of independence as a pretext to persecute political opposition figures.

I therefore demand that Nizami’s death sentence is immediately commuted. I look forward to your immediate annulment of his death sentence.

Yours sincerely,

[Name]

c. Letter to Your Foreign Secretary

[For UK campaigners]

[Your Name]

[Your address]

Rt Hon Mr William Hague

Foreign and Commonwealth Office,

King Charles Street,

London, SW1A 2AH

Dear Rt Hon Mr William Hague,

Re: Urge the Bangladeshi government to commute death sentence of Jamaat leader Nizami

I urge you to pressurize the Bangladeshi government to immediately commute the death sentence against Maulana Motiur Rahman Nizami, the current Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islaami.

He was arrested on 4 May 2011 under allegations of war crimes and was sentenced to death on 30 January 2014. There are reports that he will be executed this month.

Nizami has denied all charges against him saying they are politically motivated. The International Crimes (Tribunals) Act 1973, under which Nizami and several other Jamaat leaders are being tried has been condemned by human rights organisations and eminent lawyers for lack of transparency, failing to meet international standards of justice and for allegedly being used as a tool to weaken political rivals. Appalling discrepancies have been reported throughout the trials of the Jamaat leaders including collusion between judges, lawyers and government ministers, intimidation and biased selection of witnesses as well as changing documents admitted in court as evidence.

The recent execution of Jamaat-e-Islaami former leader Abdul Kader Mullah on 12 December 2013 under this allegedly unjust system of law has horrified me. I fear the same for Nizami.

Please, take immediate action and urge your Bangladeshi counterparts to annul his death sentence lest another possibly innocent life is sent to the gallows for no reason except valid opposition of the rulers.

Yours sincerely,

[Name]

List of Foreign Ministers

1) Netherlands

Frans Timmermans

Minister of Foerign Affairs

PO Box 20061, 2500 EB The Hague, The Netherlands

Tel: +31 70 3486486

Fax: + 31 70 3484848

Email: https://www.government.nl/contact/contact-form

2) Australia

The Hon Julie Bishop MP

Minister for Foreign Affairs

PO Box 2010

Subiaco, WA, 6904

Tel: (08) 9388 0288

Fax: (08) 9388 0299

Email: Julie.Bishop.MP@aph.gov.au

3) Minister of Foreign Affairs

The Honourable John Baird

Enquiries Service (BCI)

Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada

125 Sussex Drive

Ottawa, ON

K1A 0G2

Canada

Tel: 1-800-267-8376 (toll-free in Canada)

Tel: 613-944-4000 (in the National Capital Region and outside Canada)

Fax: 613-996-9709

Email: https://www.international.gc.ca/department-ministere/form_contact-formulaire_contacter.aspx?lang=eng

4) USA

Secretary of State John F. Kerry

U.S. Department of State

2201 C Street NW

Washington, DC 20520

Email: http://contact-us.state.gov/app/ask/session/L3RpbWUvMTM5MTQyNjg2My9zaWQvVElOYy0tTGw%3D

5) Malaysia

The Honourable DATO’ Sri Anifah Hj. Aman

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia

Wisma Putra, No 1, Jalan Wisma Putra, Precinct 2, 62602 PUTRAJAYA

Tel: +603-8000 8000

Fax: 603-8889 1717, 603-8889 2816

Email: webmaster@kln.gov.my

6) France

Laurent Fabius

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Direction de la communication et de l’information

37, Quai d’Orsay 75700 Paris France

Fax: 33 1 43 17 47 53

Email: http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/navigation/email-us/article/contact-form

7) South Africa

Ms Maite Nkoana-Mashabane

Minister of International Relations and Co-operation of the Republic of South Africa

Department of International Relations and Cooperation

Private Bag X152

Pretoria

0001

Republic of South Africa

Tel: + 27 12 351 1000

Fax: + 27 12 329 1000

List of Bangladeshi Ambassadors in your country

1) USA

Akramul Qader

The Embassy of Bangladesh in Washington, DC
3510 International Drive NW
Washington, DC 20008
USA

http://www.bdembassyusa.org/index.php?page=contact

2) Sweden

H. E. The Ambassador Mr. Md. Golam Sarwar

Embassy of Bangladesh, Stockholm
Anderstorpsvägen 12 (1 Tr.)
171 54 Solna

banijya@bangladeshembassy.se

3) Malaysia

A.K.M. Atiqur Rahman

Bangladesh High Commission 
House no 114 , Jalan U-Thant
55000 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia.

bddoot@unifi.my , 
mission.kualalumpur@mofa.gov.bd

4) Bahrain

His Excellency Md. Ali Akbar

House 71
Qufool Avenue, Salihiya356
Manama, Bahrain
Tel: 973-17233925
Fax: 973-17233683; 973-17232819

bangla@batelco.com.bh, bdoot@live.com

5) Australia

Lieutenant General Masud Uddin Chowdhury (Retd)

57, Culgoa Circuit, 
O’Malley, ACT-2606
Canberra, Australia

hoc@bhcanberra.com

6) South Africa

H.E. Mr. Md. Touhid Hossain
High Commissioner

410 Farenden Street, Sunnyside, Pretoria 0002, South Africa.

bangladeshpta@iburst.co.za

7) Canada

His Excellency Kamrul Ahsan

High Commissioner of Bangladesh to Canada

Constitution Square Centre
340 albert street, Suite  – 1350

Ottawa, Ontario, K1R 7Y6

bangla@rogers.com

8) Turkey

Embassy of People’s Republic of Bangladesh Ankara Turkey

H.E. Mr. Md. Zulfiqur Rahman

Büyükdere Caddesi, No:121, Kat:5, Ercanhan, 
Esentepe, ÅžiÅŸli, Ä°stanbul

bdcgistanbul@ttmail.com

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“And what reason have you that you should not fight in the way of Allah and of the weak among the men and the women and the children, (of) those who say: Our Lord! Cause us to go forth from this town, whose people are oppressors, and give us from Thee a guardian and give us from Thee a helper.”

Holy Qur’an: Chapter 4, Verse 75

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