MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th January, 2021) The Reporters Without Borders (RSF) non-governmental organization on Thursday condemned the decision of the Pakistani Supreme Court to acquit UK citizen of Pakistani origin Omar Saeed Sheikh accused of decapitating US journalist Daniel Pearl in 2002, saying it is "appalled by this shocking" ruling.
"Pakistan's Supreme Court acquitted the man accused of US reporter #DanielPearl's decapitation in 2002 and ordered his release. @RSF_inter is appalled by this shocking decision, which is nothing but a confirmation of the absolute level of impunity for crimes against journalists," the organization wrote on Twitter.
Daniel Pearl, who was the Wall Street Journal's South Asia bureau chief, was abducted and beheaded by Islamist militants in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi when he was covering terrorist networks in the country. Four men, including Sheikh, were arrested and convicted of kidnapping and murdering the journalist.
Sheikh was sentenced to death in 2002, but the sentence was overturned in April 2020, when the Sindh High Court in Karachi lifted all charges except for the kidnapping, which is punishable by seven years imprisonment in Pakistan. Three other suspects who were sentenced to life imprisonment in 2002, also had their convictions overturned in April. Despite this, the Pakistani authorities used emergency detention powers to keep the four in jail.
