Turkey condemns execution of Bangladeshi party leader

ANKARA

The Turkish Foreign Ministry strongly condemned on Wednesday the execution of the leader of Bangladesh’s Jamaat-e-Islami party, Motiur Rahman Nizami.

The ministry said in a written statement that it had learned with "great sorrow" of Nizami’s execution.

"We strongly condemn the execution, since we believe that Nizami did not deserve such a punishment, and we extend our condolences for the deceased," it added.

Turkey said it will continue to stand in solidarity with the "brotherly" Bangladeshi people while they work to maintain social peace.

It also said that for three years now Turkey has called on Bangladesh to suspend executions and expressed concerns that they would stoke societal tensions.

Nizami was hanged at the Dhaka Central Jail at 12.10 a.m. local time Wednesday (1810GMT Tuesday).

In October 2014, he was convicted of committing atrocities during the 1971 Bangladesh War of Independence by Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal and sentenced to death .

Preparations for the execution began last Thursday, when the country’s Supreme Court rejected his request for a review of his death sentence.

On Monday, the court’s final verdict was issued and referred to the prison authorities.