DHAKA: Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary General ATM Azharul Islam appealed to the Supreme Court challenging the death penalty awarded by International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) for his crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971.

His lawyers submitted a 90-page main appeal along with 2,250-page appeal to the SC’s Appellate Division on Wednesday noon.

Advocate Joynal Abedin Tuhin has been made “advocate on record” in the appeal case.

Azharul’s another lawyer Shishir Mohammad Monir confirmed the matter to banglanews.

On December 30, 2014, the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-1 awarded death penalty to 61-year-old Azharul, an Al-Badr commander of Rangpur.

The tribunal found Azharul, former president of the Rangpur district unit Islami Chhatra Sangha, the then student wing of the Jamaat, guilty in five out of six charges, including genocide, killing, rape, abduction, forced confinement, torture, and looting, committed during the Liberation War.

Azharul was sentenced to death for three charges and a total of 30 years imprisonment for two others.

The tribunal also found him guilty of holding superior responsibility as he was the leader of Al-Badr.

According the verdict, Azharul was president of Islami Chhatra Sangha, Rangpur district unit, and al-Badr commander of the district when studying class XI student at Carmichael College there. He maintained a good relation with the Pakistani army.

BDST: 1540 HRS, JAN 28, 2015