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| Daniel Pearl murder: Pakistani court overturns death sentence of accused | Daniel Pearl murder: Pakistani court overturns death sentence of accused |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| British-born Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh set to be released in coming days | British-born Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh set to be released in coming days |
| A Pakistani court has commuted the death sentence of a British-born man convicted of the 2002 kidnapping and murder of the Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, and acquitted three co-accused. | A Pakistani court has commuted the death sentence of a British-born man convicted of the 2002 kidnapping and murder of the Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, and acquitted three co-accused. |
| At least four people were convicted in connection with Pearl’s murder, including Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh who was sentenced to death in 2002 for masterminding the killing. He has been in jail for 18 years awaiting the outcome of an appeal. | At least four people were convicted in connection with Pearl’s murder, including Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh who was sentenced to death in 2002 for masterminding the killing. He has been in jail for 18 years awaiting the outcome of an appeal. |
| There have long been doubts over Sheikh’s exact role in the murder of Pearl. | |
| Sheikh is thought to have been involved in the kidnapping of the journalist, who was investigating al-Qaida in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi when he disappeared in January 2002, but not his actual killing. | |
| The murder, which was filmed, may instead have been carried out by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the key organiser of the 9/11 attacks, who is being held at Guantánamo Bay. | |
| In 2007 US officials said Mohammed confessed to personally killing Pearl under CIA interrogation, which included systematic torture. | |
| “The court has commuted Omar’s death sentence to a seven-year sentence,” Khawaja Naveed, the defence lawyer told Reuters by telephone. “The murder charges were not proven, so he was given seven years for the kidnapping. | “The court has commuted Omar’s death sentence to a seven-year sentence,” Khawaja Naveed, the defence lawyer told Reuters by telephone. “The murder charges were not proven, so he was given seven years for the kidnapping. |
| “Omar has already served 18 years, so his release orders will be issued sometime today. He will be out in a few days.” | “Omar has already served 18 years, so his release orders will be issued sometime today. He will be out in a few days.” |
| A two-member bench of the high court of Sindh province issued the order in the city of Karachi on Thursday, Naveed said. | A two-member bench of the high court of Sindh province issued the order in the city of Karachi on Thursday, Naveed said. |
| He said the three others, who had been serving life sentences in connection with the case, had been acquitted. | He said the three others, who had been serving life sentences in connection with the case, had been acquitted. |
| A video of Pearl’s murder emerged a few weeks after his death and was posted on the internet. | |
| Sheikh grew up near London and briefly studied at the London School of Economics. He joined a Pakistan-based extremist group after being radicalised by propaganda about Bosnia. He was imprisoned in India for kidnapping tourists but was released when militants hijacked an Indian airlines plane in 1999 and travelled to Pakistan. | |
| A Sindh prosecutor said he would consider appealing against the court’s decision. “We will go through the court order once it is issued, we will probably file an appeal,” said Faiz Shah, the provincial prosecutor general. | A Sindh prosecutor said he would consider appealing against the court’s decision. “We will go through the court order once it is issued, we will probably file an appeal,” said Faiz Shah, the provincial prosecutor general. |
| Sheikh, who was born in Britain and studied at the London School of Economics, was arrested in India in the 1990s for his involvement in the kidnapping of western tourists in 1994. | Sheikh, who was born in Britain and studied at the London School of Economics, was arrested in India in the 1990s for his involvement in the kidnapping of western tourists in 1994. |
| He was one of three men released from an Indian prison after militants hijacked an Indian airliner in late 1999 and flew it to Afghanistan, where the then ruling Taliban regime helped negotiate an exchange. | He was one of three men released from an Indian prison after militants hijacked an Indian airliner in late 1999 and flew it to Afghanistan, where the then ruling Taliban regime helped negotiate an exchange. |