On Wednesday, Hasina’s absence, the three-member tribunal, led by Justice Golam Mortuza Mozumder, delivered the verdict. According to Chief Prosecutor Muhammad Tajul Islam, the sentence will become effective upon her arrest or voluntary surrender.
Hasina, who fled to India after a student uprising in August, is accused of a number of crimes. In any of the cases, this is the first time she has received a formal sentence.
In the same case, Shakil Akand Bulbul, a senior member of the Awami League’s banned student organization, received a two-month sentence.
According to an audio recording, Hasina allegedly said, “There are 227 cases against me, so I now have a license to kill 227 people.” The tape’s authenticity was later confirmed by a government forensic report.
Hasina’s own government established the ICT in 2010 to prosecute war crimes committed during the nation’s conflict of independence in 1971.
The interim government, led by Muhammad Yunus, has since been renamed to investigate allegations of human rights violations and corruption under Hasina’s rule.
Hasina has been charged with crimes against humanity in connection with the student-led protests that led to the overthrow of her government, according to the tribunal’s three arrest warrants. With ongoing trials against former officials, her Awami League party is still banned.
Source: Aljazeera
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