Bangladesh’s top court Thursday rejected a final plea for clemency from the leader of the country’s biggest Islamist party who was convicted of war crimes. The ruling paves the way for his execution, which lawyers say could now happen at any time.
Motiur Rahman Nizami, head of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, will be hanged for rape, genocide and murdering intellectuals during the country’s liberation war of 1971, Reuters reports.
The 73-year-old leader was jailed in 2010, when current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina came to power and established a war crimes tribunal. Three other members of his party have already been hanged since 2013.
Up to 3 million people were killed and hundreds of thousands of women raped during the 9-month war that resulted in independence from Pakistan.
[Reuters]
More Must-Reads From TIME
- The 100 Most Influential People of 2024
- The Revolution of Yulia Navalnaya
- 6 Compliments That Land Every Time
- What's the Deal With the Bitcoin Halving?
- If You're Dating Right Now , You're Brave: Column
- The AI That Could Heal a Divided Internet
- Fallout Is a Brilliant Model for the Future of Video Game Adaptations
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Write to Rishi Iyengar at rishi.iyengar@timeasia.com