Dhaka: The Supreme Court on Monday deferred till November 21 the hearing of convicted three war criminals against its verdict for their crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971.

A five-member bench led by acting Chief Justice Abdul Wahhab Miah fixed the date for hearing of the appeals filed by

Jamaat-e-Islami leaders Azharul Islam, Abdus Subhan and former Jatiya Party state minister Syed Mohammed Qaiser.

The hearing of appeals of Azhar and Qaiser was supposed to be started from today (Tuesday) and Abdus Subhan from October 16.

On August 13, the Supreme Court set October 10 as the date to start its hearing on the appeals filed by convicted war criminals, ATM Azharul Islam and Syed Mohammad Qaiser.

The now defunct International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) 2 on December 23, 2014 sentenced former Jatiya Party state minister Qaiser to death as the 14 charges of crimes against humanity out of a total of 16 charges against him were proven.

The tribunal handed down the death penalty on seven charges, life imprisonment on four, jail terms of 10, 7 and 5 years on three charges. Qaiser was acquitted of the remaining two charges. Qaiser filed appeal against his conviction on January 19, 2015.

Meanwhile, the ICT-1 on December 30, 2014, sentenced Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary General ATM Azharul Islam to death for crimes against humanity committed in Rangpur during the War of Liberation. It found him guilty on five of a total of six charges.

He was sentenced to death by hanging for charges 2, 3 and 4.

In February 18, 2015, the International Crimes Tribunal sentenced Subhan to death for crimes against humanity.