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
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
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
6) South Africa
H.E. Mr. Md. Touhid Hossain High Commissioner
410 Farenden Street, Sunnyside, Pretoria 0002, South Africa.
7) Canada
His Excellency Kamrul Ahsan
High Commissioner of Bangladesh to Canada
Constitution Square Centre 340 albert street, Suite – 1350
Ottawa, Ontario, K1R 7Y6
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
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Holy Qur’an: Chapter 4, Verse 75
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