By: Zarar Khan, Associated Press Writer (AP) A defense lawyer filed an appeal Wednesday with a Pakistani court on behalf of three of the four Islamic militants convicted of the kidnapping and murder of
Wall Street Journal correspondent Daniel Pearl.
Attorney Rai Bashir asked the Sindh High Court to overturn the conviction handed down Monday against Salman Saqib, Fahad Naseem, and Shaikh Adil, who received life sentences, which in Pakistan means 25 years in prison, in the Pearl case.
In documents submitted to the appeals court, Bashir said the prosecution had failed to provide any evidence of his clients' guilt and the judge systematically dismissed all defense points of argument.
Adil did not sign the power of attorney authorizing Bashir to represent him in the appeal. After sentencing, Adil's relatives said he would not appeal because he had no faith in the legal system.
However, the collective appeal was accepted by the court registrar.
Bashir does not represent the fourth defendant, Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, who was sentenced to death. Saeed's lawyer, Abdul Waheed Katpar, said he would file his appeal by Friday.
From there, the four could appeal to the Supreme Court. The process could take months.
Pearl disappeared Jan. 23 in Karachi while researching links between Pakistani extremists and Richard C. Reid, arrested in December on a flight from Paris to Miami with explosives in his shoes.
E-mails received by news organizations a few days later included pictures showing Pearl in captivity. A videotape received by U.S. diplomats in February confirmed Pearl was dead.
A body believed to be Pearl's was found a few days later in a shallow grave in Karachi, but the results of DNA tests have not been announced.
The prosecution said FBI agents traced the e-mails to Naseem, who identified the three others, who were arrested in February. The defense claims Naseem's statement was coerced. Saeed admitted his role in the kidnapping during his initial court appearance on Feb. 14 but recanted.
His statement was inadmissible because it was not made under oath.
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