International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) Chief Prosecutor Md Aminul Islam has alleged that the defence team of retired Major General Ziaul Ahsan is attempting to delay proceedings in a crimes against humanity case involving more than 100 allegations of enforced disappearance and killings.
Speaking to reporters at his office today (22 June), Aminul said the prosecution has repeatedly faced obstacles as the defence continues to seek additional time through various applications.
“The defence is trying to delay the enforced disappearance case through different means. They come to the tribunal and keep asking for more time. This is not a good sign,” he said.
According to the chief prosecutor, one of the defence lawyers is Ziaul Ahsan’s sister, Naznin Nahar, who has allegedly sought adjournments at nearly every hearing by citing reasons such as the illness or death of a lawyer or by requesting additional documents from the tribunal.
He claimed the applications were intended to prolong the proceedings.
Aminul said the tribunal recorded testimony from a key witness on 21 June, while cross-examination was scheduled for today. However, the defence submitted three to four applications on behalf of the accused before the hearing.
He said the prosecution opposed all but one of the applications.
According to Aminul, the tribunal allowed a request for the defence lawyer to meet the accused, describing it as a lawyer’s right. However, he said the remaining applications were “completely irrelevant”.
The chief prosecutor warned that the prosecution would take a stronger position if the defence continued to file applications aimed at unnecessarily delaying the trial.
“I want to make it clear that from the next hearing onward, if Ziaul Ahsan or his lawyers attempt to delay the trial through tactics or applications filed with dishonest intentions, we will object much more firmly,” he said.
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