U.S. national released on bail in northern Pakistan

[News_Editor]

U.S. national released on bail in northern Pakistan

2011-03-09 05:49:20 GMT+7 (ICT)

PESHAWAR, PAKISTAN (BNO NEWS) -- A U.S. citizen on Tuesday was released on bail after being detained after outstaying his visa validity in northern Pakistan, the state-run APP news agency reported.

Aaron Mark Dehavon was freed after depositing Rs. 2 million ($23,500) in cash as guarantee at Central Prison in Peshawar city. Earlier, his bail application was accepted by sessions judge Altaf ur Rehman.

Last month, Dehavon, who was working for a private security company, was detained after his Pakistani visa expired. He was arrested in a residential are in Peshawar, close to the lawless tribal belt near the Afghan border.

"The bail amount was paid and DeHaven was released today," his lawyer Sardar Mohammad Raza announced.

Judge Rehman ordered the U.S. citizen not to leave the area without informing Peshawar police until his case is closed. Dehavon's visa expired in October 2010 while working for security contractor Catalyst Services.

This is the second criminal case involving U.S. citizens in Pakistan which has strained relations between both sides. In January, Lahore police arrested CIA contractor Raymond Davis for the murder of two people.

Davis, 36, shot at two individuals riding on a motorcycle in Lahore on January 27, but he claimed the victims were attempting to rob him and acted in self-defense. The U.S. requested immunity for Davis under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

However, Pakistan alleged that Davis is not a diplomat and neither the security agencies were aware about his visit to the Lahore area where the crimes took place. The case is ongoing.

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