Islamist convicted of beheading U.S. journalist Daniel Pearl to go free, victim's family in 'shock'

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

22 hours ago, Roadman said:

Which one? Pakistan for releasing him, albeit in seemingly inappropriate methods, after 18 years when life is 14 years, or the US for wanting to behalf in the same manner as the beheader? 
 

 

You're kind of missing a couple important details:

 

1. according to the OP, the individual here was originally sentenced to DEATH by a local court, before later having the sentence commuted to life in prison (which apparently there doesn't really mean LIFE).

 

2. While I personally don't support the death penalty, trying to liken a terrorist who viciously beheaded an innocent non-combatant journalist on video is hardly comparable to the U.S. practice of executing a very few convicted murderers, who usually have been convicted of some heinous crime, via lethal injection, which usually only occurs after years of multiple levels of judicial review.

 

 

Edited January 29, 2021 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[lungbing]

23 hours ago, Lacessit said:

It baffles me why affluent Western countries still give foreign aid to such nations. Let them rot in their ignorance and extremism, visit them at your own risk.

The UK gives aid because they control an awful lots of votes here.

[simple1]

10 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

You're kind of missing a couple important details:

 

1. according to the OP, the individual here was originally sentenced to DEATH by a local court, before later having the sentence commuted to life in prison (which apparently there doesn't really mean LIFE).

 

2. While I personally don't support the death penalty, trying to liken a terrorist who viciously beheaded an innocent non-combatant journalist on video is hardly comparable to the U.S. practice of executing a very few convicted murderers, who usually have been convicted of some heinous crime, via lethal injection, which usually only occurs after years of multiple levels of judicial review.

 

 

 

It is claimed the person in the OP did not personally carry out the killing, but has admitted to being a party to the kidnapping, that's why his sentence was commuted to prison time. One of the persons accused of the murder (Atta-ur-Rehman) has been executed by the Pakistani government for other terrorism related offences. What the truth of the matter will possibly never be known.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

11 hours ago, simple1 said:

 

It is claimed the person in the OP did not personally carry out the killing, but has admitted to being a party to the kidnapping, that's why his sentence was commuted to prison time.

 

Strange.... there's nothing in the OP Reuters reports that backs up what you're saying about this guy not being the actual "beheader."

 

Rather, the OP report calls him the "main suspect": "Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, who was the main suspect in the 2002 kidnapping and murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Pearl..."

 

[simple1]

2 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

Strange.... there's nothing in the OP Reuters reports that backs up what you're saying about this guy not being the actual "beheader."

 

Rather, the OP report calls him the "main suspect": "Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, who was the main suspect in the 2002 kidnapping and murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Pearl..."

 

 

Apologies for not providing the link to the article which was a review of the case history. Can't immediately relocate, but another article quoting the relevant Court ruling below...

 

In April, the Sindh High Court ruled that Sheikh was innocent of Pearl's murder but guilty of his kidnapping – and that his seven-year sentence for that crime had long since been served. The court's decision blindsided the Pearl family, who had believed Sheikh would remain behind bars for life.

 

https://www.npr.org/2021/01/28/961485215/pakistans-top-court-orders-release-for-killer-of-wall-street-journal-reporter

[Sujo]

On 1/29/2021 at 1:35 PM, RichardColeman said:

Islamist militant freed in an Islamist country ? Who da thought it.

After serving his sentence, which happens in every country. They also execute islamist terrorists in islamic countries, who da thought it.

 

If it was an issue that you imply he wouldnt have been in jail at all.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

15 hours ago, simple1 said:

 

Apologies for not providing the link to the article which was a review of the case history. Can't immediately relocate, but another article quoting the relevant Court ruling below...

 

In April, the Sindh High Court ruled that Sheikh was innocent of Pearl's murder but guilty of his kidnapping – and that his seven-year sentence for that crime had long since been served. The court's decision blindsided the Pearl family, who had believed Sheikh would remain behind bars for life.

 

https://www.npr.org/2021/01/28/961485215/pakistans-top-court-orders-release-for-killer-of-wall-street-journal-reporter

 

That's an interesting report, with a bunch of details that weren't in the Reuters report, and I'm surprised that none of it was in the version posted here. Nonetheless, there's nothing in there that conclusively says he wasn't the beheader, though the NPR account certainly raises a lot of questions on that point:

 

"The claim that Atta-ur-Rahman was Pearl's killer adds to the confusion over who actually carried out the journalist's execution. The killer's face is not shown in the video.

 

In 2007, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, told a U.S. military tribunal at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, that he had killed Pearl. But KSM, as he is widely known, was never formally charged with the crime. Reports at the time said that because KSM had been waterboarded — a form of torture — prosecutors believed his confession might not hold up in court.

...

One deep-dive investigation into Pearl's death by Georgetown University found prosecutors used perjured evidence and made a host of other mistakes. It identified Sheikh as the mastermind of Pearl's kidnapping and killing but said he and the other accomplices were not present when the journalist was killed."

 

From all of the above, it would seem that Pakistan doesn't have a felony murder rule comparable to that precept in the U.S. legal system, i.e. -- if you commit a felony during a crime that ends up involving a murder, you can be on the hook for the murder, even if you didn't actually commit it yourself.

 

 

[Harveyboy]

get 20 years for robbery  14 for chopping off someone's head ..i know 3 judges who id like to look at ....heads in a basket.. idiots law is sick letting this animal free can you imagine what his family are feeling now

[simple1]

2 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

That's an interesting report, with a bunch of details that weren't in the Reuters report, and I'm surprised that none of it was in the version posted here. Nonetheless, there's nothing in there that conclusively says he wasn't the beheader, though the NPR account certainly raises a lot of questions on that point:

 

"The claim that Atta-ur-Rahman was Pearl's killer adds to the confusion over who actually carried out the journalist's execution. The killer's face is not shown in the video.

 

In 2007, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, told a U.S. military tribunal at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, that he had killed Pearl. But KSM, as he is widely known, was never formally charged with the crime. Reports at the time said that because KSM had been waterboarded — a form of torture — prosecutors believed his confession might not hold up in court.

...

One deep-dive investigation into Pearl's death by Georgetown University found prosecutors used perjured evidence and made a host of other mistakes. It identified Sheikh as the mastermind of Pearl's kidnapping and killing but said he and the other accomplices were not present when the journalist was killed."

 

From all of the above, it would seem that Pakistan doesn't have a felony murder rule comparable to that precept in the U.S. legal system, i.e. -- if you commit a felony during a crime that ends up involving a murder, you can be on the hook for the murder, even if you didn't actually commit it yourself.

 

 

 

Good to observe someone who has put effort into researching challenging issues. if you're interested in digging deeper you may like to look into how Zia-ul-Haq influenced the Pakistani judicial system and why he did so; IMO still reverberates in Pakistan today.

Edited January 31, 2021 by simple1

[Sujo]

7 hours ago, Harveyboy said:

get 20 years for robbery  14 for chopping off someone's head ..i know 3 judges who id like to look at ....heads in a basket.. idiots law is sick letting this animal free can you imagine what his family are feeling now

No, he got life, not 14 years. 14 years is when you are eligible for parole.

 

20 years for robbery can mean eligible for parole after 10 years.

 

The judges followed the sentencing guidelines.

[Harveyboy]

On 1/31/2021 at 7:44 PM, Sujo said:

No, he got life, not 14 years. 14 years is when you are eligible for parole.

 

20 years for robbery can mean eligible for parole after 10 years.

 

The judges followed the sentencing guidelines.

then these outdated judges and their guidelines should Go

[stevenl]

2 hours ago, Harveyboy said:

then these outdated judges and their guidelines should Go

Why? Because your justice system is better? Or because you can't accept other countries' justice systems?

[Harveyboy]

22 hours ago, stevenl said:

Why? Because your justice system is better? Or because you can't accept other countries' justice systems?

 

On 2/6/2021 at 11:36 AM, Harveyboy said:

then these outdated judges and their guidelines should Go

so you think its ok to commit horrendous acts of barbaric murder and be let off 14 years later ... is how it reads  should never have gone to prison should have been executed   No need for a reply ..not the sort of person i normally associate with ..Bye .