Ziaul Ahsan will attend tribunal hearings virtually from prison, says prosecutor

Retired Major General Ziaul Ahsan, an accused in a crimes against humanity case involving allegations of enforced disappearance and murder of more than 100 people, will not be brought to the International Crimes Tribunal. He will attend hearings virtually from prison.

Tribunal prosecutor Gazi Monawar Hossain provided the information to journalists on Tuesday.

He said the tribunal had granted the prosecution’s application and decided that, from Tuesday, proceedings in the case would be conducted with Ziaul Ahsan remaining in prison and participating virtually.

At a hearing before the tribunal on 8 October, Ziaul Ahsan’s lawyer and sister, Nazneen Nahar, said he was being transported between prison and the tribunal alone in a vehicle.

Nazneen Nahar told the hearing that transporting Ziaul Ahsan alone in a prison van was dangerous and concerning.

The law and order situation was not particularly good, she said, and an accident of some kind could occur. She requested that he be transported alongside other accused persons rather than alone.

The prosecution opposed the application made by Ziaul Ahsan’s lawyer. At that hearing, prosecutor Gazi Monawar requested that the trial proceedings be conducted with Ziaul Ahsan remaining in prison and participating remotely. He said the law allowed an accused person to take part in proceedings by video from prison.

The tribunal did not issue an order immediately that day. On Tuesday, Gazi Monawar told journalists that the tribunal had granted the prosecution’s application.