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Barrister Sifat Mahmud, lawyer for Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Jasod) President Hasanul Haq Inu, has claimed that no crime was proved against his client, alleging that the International Crimes Tribunal delivered a speculative verdict based on the prosecution’s political narrative rather than a proper assessment of the events surrounding the July 2024 uprising.
He made the remarks while responding to questions from journalists on the premises of the International Crimes Tribunal on Wednesday.
The lawyer said the oral and documentary evidence presented by the prosecution had failed to establish any offence against Inu, let alone crimes against humanity.
“Despite this, the tribunal sentenced him to 10 years in prison,” he said, adding that an appeal had been filed with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court seeking acquittal and the cancellation of the verdict on 23 grounds.
Barrister Sifat Mahmud said International Crimes Tribunal-2 delivered its verdict against Inu on June 30. Of the eight charges, the tribunal sentenced him to 10 years in prison on each of three charges and acquitted him of the remaining five.
He said the tribunal itself had acknowledged shortcomings and limitations in the investigation, yet handed down a sentence based on what he described as a flawed investigation.
In the appeal, the defence also challenged the prosecution’s reliance on Inu’s telephone conversations with then prime minister Sheikh Hasina and the superintendent of police in Kushtia, a political decision taken at a 14-party alliance meeting to ban Jamaat-e-Islami, and interviews he gave to various media outlets.
The lawyer argued that none of these activities constituted a criminal offence.
He alleged that the tribunal had failed to assess the full circumstances surrounding the July-August 2024 events and instead delivered a politically motivated verdict based on the prosecution’s narrative.
The allegations and arguments reflect the defence’s position in the appeal.