Pakistan’s Supreme Court has ordered the British-born man acquitted of the beheading of American journalist Daniel Pearl in 2002 off death row and moved to a so-called government “safe house”.
Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, who has been on death row for 18 years, will be under guard and will not be allowed to leave the safe house, but his wife and children will be allowed to visit him.
“It is not complete freedom. It is a step towards freedom,” said Mr Sheikh’s father, Saeed Sheikh, who attended the hearing.
The Pakistan government has been scrambling to keep Mr Sheikh in jail since a Supreme Court order last Thursday upheld his acquittal over the death of Mr Pearl, generating expressions of outrage by Mr Pearl’s family and the US administration.
Pakistan s Supreme Court acquits militant convicted of beheading U.S. journalist Daniel Pearl
Photo: Reuters
AKIPRESS.COM - Pakistan’s Supreme Court on January 28 ordered the release of a militant convicted of beheading American journalist Daniel Pearl, a decision that shocked his family and drew condemnation from Washington, Reuters reported.
Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, who was the main suspect in the 2002 kidnapping and murder of the Wall Street Journal reporter, was acquitted by a panel of three judges.
“By a majority of two to one, they have acquitted all the accused persons and ordered their release,” a provincial advocate general, Salman Talibuddin, told Reuters.
Pakistan court orders Briton controversially acquitted of beheading US journalist Daniel Pearl in 2002 to be moved from death row to a safe house complete with family visits
Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh will be under guard and not allowed to leave the safe house, though his wife and children will be allowed to visit him
His father called the decision a step towards freedom after the hearing
Sheikh was controversially acquitted of Pearl s murder in a decision criticised by both the US and Pakistani governments as well as the Pearl family
Pearl disappeared in Karachi in 2002 while investigating links between Pakistani militant groups and the so-called shoe bomber
British militant acquitted of Daniel Pearl killing to be moved to rest house for family visits
Ahmad Omar Saeed Sheikh will be allowed to have family visits, but not a telephone or the internet
2 February 2021 • 6:09pm
Saeed Sheikh, (C) the father of Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, said: It is not a complete freedom. It is a step toward freedom.
A British public schoolboy-turned-militant who was acquitted of the murder of an American journalist must be moved to a rest house for family visits, Pakistan s top court ruled.
Ahmad Omar Saeed Sheikh will leave death row as a stepping stone to his release, in a decision which is likely to further anger Washington.