The International Crimes Tribunal – 1 on Tuesday accepted the unconditional apology of three lawyers defending Jamaat leaders facing war crimes trial and pardoned them from contempt charges.
The tribunal, however, warned defence lawyer M Tajul Islam that he would face strong action for repeating the misconduct.
On November 6, the tribunal asked defence lawyers – M Tajul Islam, Mizanul Islam and Tanvir Ahmed Al-Amin to explain why proceedings would not be drawn against them for their misconduct.
On the same day, the tribunal barred Tajul from entering the courtroom until November 22 as another similar notice was pending against him before it.
On Oct 22, Tajul had walked out of the tribunal showing his back to the judges without bowing, as is customary in a court of law, ignoring the chairman’s instruction to remain seated.
The tribunal gave the order on November 6, a day after Sayedee’s lawyers boycotted the hearing in protest against its alleged inaction with regard abduction of a defence witness by plainclothes men.
Referring to the happenings in the court room on December 5, the tribunal had expressed dismay towards the defence lawyers saying, many of them were talking at a time and some of them even stood up disregarding court room decorum.
The tribunal said that Tajul Islam stood up every one minute and talked to others in the courtroom and they all left together.
‘Today’s [November 6] newspapers and yesterday’s [November 5] online papers reported that a defence lawyer had said “this tribunal might have involvement in the abduction”. This is nothing but an allegation against the tribunal which is highly contemptuous,’ the tribunal in its order had said on November 6.
Appearing for the defence lawyers, senior lawyers including Moudud Ahmed, Rafiqul Islam Mia, Jainul Abedin and Abdur Razzaq sought unconditional apology on their behalf.
In its order on Tuesday, the tribunal withdrew the restriction on Tajul from entering the court room and forgave the three defence lawyers from the contempt charges.
Later, the tribunal heard two applications of war crimes accused Ghulam Azam and Salauddin Quader Chowdhury seeking removal of prosecutor Zead-Al Malum.
The tribunal set January 20 for order on the applications.
It also began hearing on three applications seeking review of the tribunals January 3 order that rejected retrial pleas of Ghulam Azam, Jamaat amir Motiur Rahman Nizami and Delwar Hossain Sayedee.
The hearing resumes today.