Kenyan court rules police acted 'unlawfully' in Arshad Sharif's murder, orders probe update

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 1 August 2025 |  JP Staff Report

The Kenyan Appeal Court has declared the police's actions in the murder case of Arshad Sharif unlawful. The court mandated that updates regarding the ongoing investigation be provided to Sharif's widow, Javeria Siddique, within 30 days.

Summary

ISLAMABAD—The Kenyan Appeal Court has delivered a verdict in the murder case of Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif, ruling that the police officers involved in his death acted "unlawfully and unconstitutionally."

The court ordered Kenya’s Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to provide Sharif’s widow, Javeria Siddique, with updates on investigations, recommendations, and the Director of Public Prosecution’s response within 30 days.

Sharif, a vocal critic of Pakistan’s military establishment, was shot dead in Kenya on October 22, 2022, in what Kenyan police initially claimed was a case of "mistaken identity." However, subsequent reports pointed to alleged cross-border involvement, with Pakistani authorities accused of orchestrating the killing.

While expressing gratitude to Kenyan journalists' unions and her legal team, Siddique emphasized that the conspiracy to kill Sharif was hatched in Pakistan. "I hope those responsible for Arshad's death will be held accountable in Kenya and Pakistan," she said.

Earlier, while awaiting the verdict, Siddique had tweeted about her "hope and anxiety," urging the court to lift a stay order that delayed justice. A 2024 High Court ruling had cited "credible evidence" of transnational collusion, but the Kenyan government’s appeal was seen as political maneuvering.

Disturbingly, Siddique revealed that Sharif’s body bore 18-19 torture marks, including gunshots to the head and back, missing nails, a removed kidney, broken ribs, and a missing part of his skull