Supreme Court orders release of prime accused in Daniel Pearl murder
JournalismPakistan.com | Published: 28 January 2021
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The Supreme Court of Pakistan acquitted Ahmad Omar Saeed Sheikh and ordered his release, raising concerns about journalist safety. This decision has attracted global criticism, particularly from the Committee to Protect Journalists.Summary
Washington, D.C—The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Wednesday ordered the release of Ahmad Omar Saeed Sheikh, who was previously convicted in the 2002 murder of Wall Street Journal correspondent Daniel Pearl, and acquitted him and three others of the murder charges, according to newsreports.
“We are deeply disappointed that Pakistan’s Supreme Court has acquitted and ordered the release of Ahmad Saeed Omar Sheikh, despite overwhelming evidence of Sheikh’s involvement in the kidnapping of Daniel Pearl, which led directly to his murder,” said Steven Butler, Committee to Protect Journalist’s Asia program coordinator. “Daniel Pearl deserves justice and Sheikh deserves to pay for his crime. Journalists everywhere are less safe today due to this decision.”
The Supreme Court decision came despite written evidence presented to the court and signed by Sheikh, in which he confessed to a role in the kidnapping, according to the reports. Sheikh has been in jail for 18 years.
On April 2, 2020, the Sindh High Court overturned the convictions of Sheikh and three others involved in the kidnapping and murder, as CPJ reported. The four continued to be held in prison while the Sindh Government and the parents of Pearl lodged an appeal with the Supreme Court, according to the news reports.—A CPJ statement/Photo: Reuters
Key Points
- Supreme Court acquitted Ahmad Omar Saeed Sheikh in Daniel Pearl murder case.
- Sheikh had been in prison for 18 years prior to the release.
- Decision faced backlash from global journalists and advocacy groups.
- Evidence presented included Sheikh's confession to involvement in the kidnapping.
- Parents of Daniel Pearl plan to appeal the Supreme Court's decision.
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