Condemned war criminal Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid has decided to file a petition seeking review of the top court’s final verdict that upheld his death sentence.
"He [Mujahid] is mentally strong and directed us to take preparation to file a review petition," his counsel Shihir Manir said after meeting the Jamaat-e-Islami secretary general at the Dhaka Central Jail on Saturday morning.
A five-member team of defence lawyers met Mujahid at jail.
The jail authorities read out the death warrant to Mujahid on Thursday.
According to jail sources, Mujahid remained calm when the warrant had been read out to him. The former technocrat minister said that he would convey his opinion to the lawyers.
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court released the full text of verdicts in the appeal cases of Jamaat-e-Islami leader Mujahid and BNP leader Salauddin on Wednesday.
If the review petitions are disposed of and their death sentences are upheld, the convicts will have the opportunity to seek mercy from the president admitting the crimes and meet the family members. If their mercy petition is rejected or they do not seek clemency, the government will execute the tribunal order by hanging them until death.
So far, the government has executed two war criminals following legal procedures. They are Jamaat leaders Abdul Quader Molla and Muhammad Kamaruzzaman. The apex court earlier commuted the death penalty of another Jamaat leader Delawar Hossain Sayedee to imprisonment until death. None of the convicts admitted to committing the crimes.
