Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN)-The International Crimes Tribunal Tuesday deferred the verdict in the case against Jamaat-e-Islami chief Motiur Rahman Nizami for crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War of Bangladesh.
The fresh date for pronouncing the verdict has not been fixed yet.
The pronouncement of verdict in Nizami case was postponed as he suddenly fell sick, said his counsel Advocate Tariqul Islam.
As per the law, the accused must present before the tribunal during the pronouncement of the war crimes verdict.
As Nizami was not present, the verdict was deferred, his counsel added.
The three-member International Crimes Tribunal-1 led by Justice M Enayetur Rahim passed and kept the case again CAV (Curia Advisari Vult that means verdict would be delivered later).
The tribunal came up with the order after holding hearing on both the prosecution and defence on the basis of a letter of Dhaka Jail authority.
Earlier in the morning, the jail authorities informed the registrar office of the tribunal through a letter that Nizami is sick, said AKM Nasiruddin Mahmud, registrar and spokesman for the ICT.
The ICT-1 was expected to deliver the verdict in the war crimes case against the former lawmaker and minister Nizami on Tuesday as per its schedule.
Nizami is facing 16 charges including looting, killing, rape, arson, torture and confinement of people during the Liberation War.
Nizami, Jamaat ameer since November 2000, has already been awarded the death penalty in the 10-truck arms haul case this year.
Nizami, the president of the then Jamaat-e-Islami student wing Islami Chhatra Sangha and chief of Pakistan army auxiliary force Al-Badr, was indicted on May 28, 2012.
BBN/SS-AS-24June14-11:55am (BST)
