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| Bangladesh Islamist leader spared death sentence | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Bangladesh's supreme court has commuted the death sentence of an Islamist political leader whose conviction last year for war crimes during the country's 1971 war for independence sparked deadly protests. | Bangladesh's supreme court has commuted the death sentence of an Islamist political leader whose conviction last year for war crimes during the country's 1971 war for independence sparked deadly protests. |
| Delwar Hossain Sayedee, one of the leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami, must remain in prison "for the rest of his natural life", said the chief justice, Muzammel Hossain. The judge did not explain his decision for reducing the sentence. | Delwar Hossain Sayedee, one of the leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami, must remain in prison "for the rest of his natural life", said the chief justice, Muzammel Hossain. The judge did not explain his decision for reducing the sentence. |
| A war crimes tribunal convicted Sayedee in February 2013 for eight counts involving mass killings, rape and atrocities committed during the nine-month war against Pakistan in 1971. His death sentence sparked days of clashes that killed at least 70 people across the country. | A war crimes tribunal convicted Sayedee in February 2013 for eight counts involving mass killings, rape and atrocities committed during the nine-month war against Pakistan in 1971. His death sentence sparked days of clashes that killed at least 70 people across the country. |
| Jamaat-e-Islami, the largest Islamist party in the Muslim-majority country, campaigned against the independence war but denies committing any atrocities. Bangladesh claims 3 million people died during the war and millions fled to neighbouring India. | Jamaat-e-Islami, the largest Islamist party in the Muslim-majority country, campaigned against the independence war but denies committing any atrocities. Bangladesh claims 3 million people died during the war and millions fled to neighbouring India. |
| The prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, has called the trials a long-overdue effort to obtain justice against war criminals four decades after Bangladesh split from Pakistan. But critics say she is using the tribunals to weaken the country's opposition parties. | The prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, has called the trials a long-overdue effort to obtain justice against war criminals four decades after Bangladesh split from Pakistan. But critics say she is using the tribunals to weaken the country's opposition parties. |
| Prosecutor Tureen Afroze says she guardedly welcomed the verdict but needed to see the full decision before she could comment further. Sayedee's defence said he would appeal. |