Union of NGOs of the Islamic World (UNIW) Strongly condemned the death penalty verdict on Saydee

Mar 25, 2013 Secretary General of the Union of NGOs of the Islamic World (UNIW) Att. Ali Kurt has strongly condemned the death penalty verdict on Allama Dilwar Hussein Saydee, a prominent leader of Jamaat-e Islami Movement. Mr. Kurt called on the Bangladeshi President, government and related institutions to immediately turn this unlawful verdict back which will lead to enormous repercussions at the social strata of the country. DEATH PENALTY VERDICT FOR JAMAAT-E ISLAMI LEADER Rooted and strongly popular Jamaat-e Islami Movement Deputy Leader Allama Saydee was arrested on the basis of several political reasons as we all closely monitored. Arrest of this renowned and aged Muslim scholar respected by a large community in Bangladesh had led to strong reactions. We had also condemned this wrong action that surprised us, our members from Turkey and around the world as we were expecting his immediate release. We had such justified expectation as it appeared after a short time that the process was conducted unlawfully. For example, as Allama Dilver Hussein Saydees lawyers state, 16 cases were claimed to be so-called crimes against humanity and four others were of murder crimes among totally 20 attributed allegations. However, none of these claims were proven by politicized prosecutors. On the contrary during the process it emerged that the case was political and the judgment used a large number of pseudo witnesses reaching at 28 persons. In response to this step, defense lawyers carried out a serious work revealing and proving that all pseudo witnesses speeches were untrue one by one. Other so-called witnesses were accepted as evidence based on their voice records received form them without being sommone to the court. So much so that one

of these so-called confidential 16 witnesses, a person named Usha Rani Malakar, appeared at a Bangladeshi television screens during the process and confessed that Allama Saydi had no relations with so-called case of his wifes murder. In addition to him, two more witnesses came to the court where they stated that prosecutors were lying. Our members from Bangladesh, human right organizations and NGOs have many other details on the issues I have mentioned above. We are shocked at this death sentence on Reverend Allama Saydi in such an apparent and clear commitment of injustices. We do believe that it is a very serious threat to regional countries and the Islamic World to see this death sentence verdict on Allama Saydee, who under normal conditions would have been already released in such an illegaly, carried out case with highly politicized and unlawful accusations. Giving a death penalty verdict to such a symbolic name representing millions of Bangladeshi people means igniting the fuse of an irreversible dangerous process. It is certain that an opressive policy that has reached at peak in the last two years targeting Islamic Movement of Bangladesh, NGOs, leading scholars, thinkers and personalities is not going to give benefit to any parties. We think that the current administration in Bangladesh must very carefully read the reasons of emergence of popular revolutios in Tunisia, Libya, Yemen and Syria. We are afraid that this grave decision will evolve into a very dangerous process in Bangladesh which now struggles with her own internal problems in econonmy and many other areas after a great struggle against the foreign occupation forces and gaining an independent structure. We are those who think that Bangladesh should have an exceptional place in the Islamic World as a stable, prosperous and serious power now urge H.E President of Bangladesh, Bangladeshi Government and relevant institutions to immediately step back from this death penalty verdict. We are inviting you to immediately draw back this political and illegal decision that would undermine the social peace, isolate Bangladeshi officials in the Muslim worldand will push the grip of instability in the country. In conclusion, demonstrators who were peacefully protesting this provocative decision were shooted; nearly one hundred Bangladeshi people were martyred, while thousands of people were injured and many were arrested. On this occasion, we pray Allah will grant mercy on the martyrs, and give speedy recovery to the the wounded. Once again we call on the Government of Bangladesh to re-consider the death sentence; to act with common sense, and to put an end to its discriminating and repressive policies towards its own people. The Union of NGOs of the Islamic World (UNIW), which has 225 member organizations from 51 countries, proclaims that it condemns and does not approve of the given decision, and will continue its consistent attitude toward the withdrawal of the verdict. Submitted to the public opinion. Att. Ali Kurt. Secretary General