The former head of the Jamaat-e-Islami party has been indicted by a war crimes tribunal in Bangladesh.
Ghulam Azam, 89, is accused of carrying out war crimes during Bangladesh’s war of independence against Pakistan.
Azam is thought to have led pro-Pakistani militias which carried out atrocities during the 9-month war in 1971.
"The International Crimes Tribunal charged him with crimes against humanity, genocide, murder, rape, abduction, arson and other crimes under international law," state prosecutor Ziad Al Malum told AFP.
Mr Azam has pleaded not guilty to all charges and argued that they are politically motivated.
The tribunal was set up by the ruling Awami League to bring to justice those accused of collaborating with Pakistan during the war, however New York based NGO Human Rights Watch have said that the procedures of the tribunal fall short of international standards.
We need your support
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.
For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.
