Death sentence for ex-chair of East London Mosque for war crimes
Chowdhury Mueen Uddin meeting with Prince Charles as deputy director of the Islamic Foundation in Leicestershire in 2003 - Credit: Photograph: Andrew Parsons/PA
A former vice chairman of the East London Mosque has been sentenced to death by a Bangladeshi court for committing war crimes during the country’s liberation war in 1971.
Chowdhury Mueen Uddin, 65, was found guilty of the abduction and murder of teachers, journalists and intellectuals as a member of the al-Badr killing squads after being tried in absentia by the court.
Mr Mueen Uddin’s lawyer, Toby Cadman, called the tribunal a “show trial” that has been criticised by human rights groups.
Mr Mueen Uddin, who lives in London, has been vice chairman of the East London Mosque and London Muslim Centre in Whitechapel and helped set up the Muslim Council of Britain.
He has also been Director of Muslim Spiritual Care Provision for the NHS and met with Prince Charles as deputy director of the Islamic Foundation in Leicestershire in 2003.
The East London Mosque confirmed that Mr Mueen Uddin had been involved with the mosque from 1978 as honourary secretary, and was until recently its vice chairman, but has not been a trustee since 2009.
The British government will not extradite Mr Mueen Uddin to Bangladesh as it does not send people to countries where they could face the death penalty.
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The International Crimes Tribunal was set up in 2010 after an election pledge by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to try those accused of helping the Pakistani army to commit war crimes during the 1971 conflict.
