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| Bangladesh Islamist leader Motiur Rahman Nizami loses final appeal | Bangladesh Islamist leader Motiur Rahman Nizami loses final appeal |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The head of Bangladesh's largest Islamist party has lost a final appeal against his death sentence for atrocities committed during the war of independence from Pakistan in 1971. | |
| Motiur Rahman Nizami, 72, was seeking a review of the Supreme Court decision to uphold a war crimes tribunal verdict. | |
| He was convicted of genocide, rape and torture, charges the defence said were not proven beyond reasonable doubt. | He was convicted of genocide, rape and torture, charges the defence said were not proven beyond reasonable doubt. |
| Unless he seeks clemency from the president he could be hanged in days. | |
| His party responded to the Supreme Court decision by calling a nationwide strike for Sunday and has said it will hold street protests. Security has been tightened across the country. | |
| "All the legal battles are over," a lawyer for Nizami told reporters. "Now it is up to him, whether he will seek clemency from the president, or not." | |
| Correspondents say it is unlikely clemency would be granted, even were Nizami to appeal. | |
| Four politicians have so far been hanged for war crimes since the controversial tribunal was set up in 2010. Scores of people have been killed in violence following previous judgements. | |
| Bangladesh war crimes tribunal: The key accused | Bangladesh war crimes tribunal: The key accused |
| Bangladesh independence war, 1971 | Bangladesh independence war, 1971 |
| Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina set up the war crimes tribunal to look into abuses during the independence war. | Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina set up the war crimes tribunal to look into abuses during the independence war. |
| Nizami, a former government minister, is one of the most important figures to be found guilty. | |
| He was convicted of setting up a militia which helped the Pakistani army identify and kill pro-independence activists. | |
| Critics have said the government is using the tribunal to target political opponents. Human Rights Watch has previously said the court's procedures are not up to international standards. | Critics have said the government is using the tribunal to target political opponents. Human Rights Watch has previously said the court's procedures are not up to international standards. |
| The Awami League, which leads the current government, says it is necessary to help the country come to terms with its past. | The Awami League, which leads the current government, says it is necessary to help the country come to terms with its past. |