Journalist Daniel murder: US may seek to try accused killer

The United States may seek to try a man accused of killing American journalist Daniel Pearl after a Pakistani court ordered his release, according to acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen.

Last week, a Pakistani court ordered the release of British-Pakistani Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, the main suspect in the 2002 kidnapping and murder of Pearl, a Wall Street Journal reporter, after his conviction was overturned.

“The separate judicial rulings reversing his conviction and ordering his release are an affront to terrorism victims everywhere,” Rosen said in a statement.

If efforts to reinstate Sheikh’s conviction were not successful, he said, “The United States stands ready to take custody of Omar Sheikh to stand trial here.

“We cannot allow him to evade justice for his role in Daniel Pearl’s abduction and murder,” Rosen added.

In April, a court in Sindh province overturned Sheikh’s murder conviction and acquitted three others serving life sentences in connection with the case.

The four are being held under the emergency orders of the local government while an ongoing appeal against their acquittals is heard in the Supreme Court, but defence lawyers argued against their continued detention in the southern province.

“We remain grateful for the Pakistani government’s actions to appeal such rulings to ensure that (Sheikh) and his co-defendants are held accountable,” Rosen said.

US may seek to try a man accused of killing American journalist Daniel Pearl after a Pakistani court ordered his release, according to acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen.

Last week, a Pakistani court ordered the release of British-Pakistani Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, the main suspect in the 2002 kidnapping and murder of Pearl, a Wall Street Journal reporter, after his conviction was overturned.

“The separate judicial rulings reversing his conviction and ordering his release are an affront to terrorism victims everywhere,” Rosen said in a statement.

If efforts to reinstate Sheikh’s conviction were not successful, he said, “The United States stands ready to take custody of Omar Sheikh to stand trial here.

“We cannot allow him to evade justice for his role in Daniel Pearl’s abduction and murder,” Rosen added.

In April, a court in Sindh province overturned Sheikh’s murder conviction and acquitted three others serving life sentences in connection with the case.

The four are being held under the emergency orders of the local government while an ongoing appeal against their acquittals is heard in the Supreme Court, but defence lawyers argued against their continued detention in the southern province.

“We remain grateful for the Pakistani government’s actions to appeal such rulings to ensure that (Sheikh) and his co-defendants are held accountable,” Rosen said.