Pakistani court delays ruling on immunity of U.S. diplomat accused of murder

[News_Editor]

Pakistani court delays ruling on immunity of U.S. diplomat accused of murder

2011-03-14 22:52:25 GMT+7 (ICT)

LAHORE, PAKISTAN (BNO NEWS) -- A Pakistani court on Monday declined to rule ob whether the U.S. citizen accused of murder is immune to prosecution due to his alleged status as a diplomat, Ary News television reported.

The Lahore High Court's action may delay the resolution on the controversial case of Raymond Davis, a CIA contractor who was arrested after allegedly murdering two people on January 27.

The case has sparked tensions between the United States and Pakistan. The provincial high court of the Punjab province in Lahore referred the immunity decision to a lower court, where he is facing murder charges.

After the court hearing in Lahore, a group of young men gathered outside the Punjab high court demanding that Davis must be tried under Pakistani law. Some of them even called for Davis to be hanged.

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.

Cameron Munter, U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan, said before that the government is disappointed that Pakistan did not certify that Davis has diplomatic immunity. 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.

This is the second criminal case involving U.S. citizens in Pakistan which has strained relations between both sides. Last week, Aaron Mark Dehavon was freed after depositing Rs. 2 million ($23,500) in cash as guarantee at Central Prison in Peshawar city.

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.

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