The United States understands the importance of ongoing war crimes trials in Bangladesh’s historical perspective and believes that the trials should be fair and transparent.
State Department’s Spokesperson Jen Psaki made the comment on Wednesday. She was replying to queries form journalists as part of her daily briefing.
She said: “We understand the importance of this process in closing a painful chapter of Bangladesh’s history.”
Referring to war criminal Motiur Rahman Nizami’s death sentence, a journalist asked if the US believed that the trial was fair and transparent.
Noting that the US supports bringing to justice those who committed atrocities in the 1971 war, the official said.
“The trials should be in accordance with international standards Bangladesh has agreed to uphold through its ratification of international agreements, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,” Psaki added.
While answering the question, she referred to the observation of US Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues Stephen Rapp on death penalty.
Rapp has said countries that impose a death penalty “must do so with great care in accordance with very high standards of due process and respect for fair trial guarantees.”
Psaki said: “I’m not in a position to evaluate the trial, other than to convey that those are values and standards that we expect countries to abide by.”
Jamaat-e-Islami chief Nizami was sentenced to death by the International Crimes Tribunal for committing crimes against humanity in Dhaka and Pabna during the Liberation War. Eight charges out of total 16 including conspiracy, planning, complicity, incitement and active participation were proved.