Daniel Pearl’s Parents Appeal Court Ruling That Would Free the Men Convicted in Their Son’s Murder
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KARACHI, Pakistan — The mother and father of slain Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl — Ruth and Judea Pearl — filed an appeal with the Pakistani Supreme Court, in an effort to realize justice in their son’s brutal 2002 kidnapping and murder.
Through their attorney, the parents appealed the shocking April 2, 2020, ruling by the Sindh High Court, overturning the conviction and sentencing of British-Pakistani criminal mastermind Omar Saeed Sheikh and his three co-conspirators, Salman Saqib, Fahad Naseem and Sheik Adil, for Pearl’s kidnapping and murder in Karachi. Under the ruling, the men would be set free. The Sindh government issued a 90-day detention order against the men.
“We are standing up for justice for not only our son, Daniel Pearl, but for all of our dear friends in Pakistan, so they can know a society free of violence and terror, raising their children in peace and harmony,” said Ruth and Judea Pearl, cofounders of the Daniel Pearl Foundation, dedicated to honoring the legacy of their son.
The Pearl parents said, “Since Daniel’s tragic murder 18 years ago, we have missed our son each and every moment of each and every day. Nonetheless, in our grief, we have dedicated ourselves to building bridges with Pakistan, hosting Pakistani journalists in our home, sponsoring music concerts throughout Pakistan and nurturing friendships. Like our son, we believe in the values of peace, friendship, love and justice, and want to make sure we do everything we can do to keep Pakistan safe for her citizens. The men behind Daniel’s murder represent an extremism that we must challenge, and the world is watching how the courts in Pakistan keeps her citizens safe from terrorism and creates a future of peace. ”
Representing Daniel Pearl’s parents, Faisal Siddiqi, a partner with the law firm Siddiqi, Vawda, Usman & Memon Law Associates, based in Karachi, filed the appeal with the Pakistani Supreme Court, and said, “The decision by the Sindh High Court to free the men in the murder of Daniel Pearl is a complete miscarriage of justice. It is a defining case for the Pakistani State and its judicial system, involving freedom of the press, the sanctity of every life, freedom from terror and the manifestation of a welcoming and safe Pakistan to the world. Rarely has any court case embodied and risked such fundamental values.”
The Pearl Project, an initiative that investigated Daniel Pearl’s kidnapping and murder, is leading the effort to realize justice for Pearl, in partnership with the Committee to Protect Journalist and the Wall Street Journal, which is contributing to the Pearl family’s legal fees.
The Pearl Project stated, “Daniel Pearl’s murder was a tragic loss to not only his family and to his many friends around the world, but also to our universal human values for a world in which journalists can do their jobs without fearing for their lives. All people of conscience must support Daniel Pearl’s parents as they seek to realize justice not only for their son but for all people.”
Ruth and Judea Pearl thank the Pearl Project, the Committee to Protect Journalists, the Wall Street Journal and their many friends in Pakistan and around the world for supporting their pursuit of justice for their son.
Wall Street Journal publisher Dow Jones said in a released statement, “The Wall Street Journal supports the Pearl family’s efforts in seeking justice for the kidnapping and brutal murder of their son, Daniel Pearl. Danny was a cherished colleague, and we will always honor his memory and service.”
The Committee to Protect Journalists said, “The release of Omar Saeed Sheikh and his accomplices would only add to the threats facing journalists in Pakistan and deepen Pakistan’s reputation as a haven for terrorists.”
Contact: justicefordanny@danielpearlproject.org
Asra Nomani, Pearl Project, WhatsApp 1-304–685–2189
Steven Butler, Committee to Protect Journalists, WhatsApp 202–445–3216
Three Actions You Can Take to Help the Pearl Family Realize #JusticeForDanielPearl
- Write to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and Pakistani Supreme Court Justice Gulzar Ahmad with your personalized version of this message:
Dear @ImranKhanPTI, I support Ruth and @YudaPearl because ___________. Please realize #JusticeForDanielPearl. cc: Supreme Court Justice Gulzar Ahmad
2. Paste this link at the end of your message on Twitter to share the video of Ruth and Judea Pearl: https://twitter.com/AsraNomani/status/1256514523105767424/video/10
Use this link on other platforms: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHgIk1eBjhQ
Or download the video and post it directly to your account:
3. Ask you friends to share your tweet with the hashtag #JusticeForDanielPearl.
Transcript: Ruth and Judea Pearl’s Appeal to Pakistan
Judea Pearl: Assalaam-o-Alaikum. Ramazan Mubarak.
Ruth Pearl: Assalaam-o-Alaikum. Ramazan Mubarak.
السلامُ علیکم۔ رمضان مبارک
I am Ruth Pearl, mother of Daniel Pearl.
میں ڈینئیل پرل کی والدہرُتھ پرل ہوں
Since 2002, when our son was kidnapped and murdered in Pakistan, our lives have been upside-down.
پاکستان میں ۲۰۰۲ میں ہمارے بیٹے کے اغوا اور پھر قتل نےہماری زندگیوں کو تہ و بالا کر دیا
There’s not a single day that we don’t miss our son.
کوئی ایسا دن ایسا نہیں ہوتا جب ہم اپنے بیٹے کو یاد نہ کریں۔
I’m going to let my husband do the speaking, because I have a problem in my vocal cords.
میرے شوہر اب میری بات آپ تک پہنچائیں گے کیونکہ میں گلے کی تکلیف کے باعث بولنے سے قاصر ہوں۔
Thank you.
شکریہ۔
My name is Judea Pearl, and I’m the father of Daniel Pearl. I’ll speak for me and my wife, Ruth.
میرا نام جُوڈا پرل ہے اور میں ڈینئیل پرل کا والد ہوں۔ میں اپنی اور اپنی اہلیہ رُتھ کی جانب سے آپ سے مخاطب ہوں۔
Eighteen years ago, in 2002, our son, Daniel Pearl, was kidnapped and brutally murdered in Karachi, Pakistan.
اٹھارہ سال قبل سنہ ۲۰۰۲ میں ہمارے بیٹے ڈینئیل پرل کو پاکستان میں کراچی سے اغوا کر کے بہیمانہ طور پر قتل کر دیا گیا تھا۔
We raised our son to be a friendly human being, an honest person, committed to journalism.
ہم نے اپنے بیٹےکو ایک اچھا اور ایماند آر انسان بننے کی تربیت دی تھی۔ وہ اپنے پیشے سے انتہائی مخلص بیباک صحافی تھا۔
He was committed to writing the truth and upholding principles of justice and humanity.
وہ ہمیشہ سچائی کا ساتھ دیتا تھا اور انسانیت اور انصاف کا علمبردار تھا۔
He was friendly to all strangers.
وہ تمام اجنبیوں کی طرف دوستانہ رویہ رکھتا تھا۔
He didn’t know what a stranger is.
اسے پتہ ہی نہیں تھا کہ اجنبی ہوتا کیا ہے۔
For him, a stranger meant an opportunity to develop a new friendship.
اس کے لیے کسی اجنبی سے ملاقات ایک نئی دوستی قائم کرنے کا موقع ہوتی تھی۔
We have missed our son in every moment of our life since his murder
اس کے قتل کے بعد سے ہمارا ہر لمحہ اس کی یاد میں گذرتا ہے۔
In our grief, we dedicated ourselves to building bridges with Pakistan — hosting Pakistani journalists in our home, sponsoring music concerts in Pakistan and nurturing life-long friendships.
اپنے غم سے سنبھلنے کے لیے ہم نے اپنے آپ کو پاکستان کے لوگوں سے دوستی کا رشتہ جوڑنے کے لیے وقف کر دیا ۔
ہم نے اپنے گھر پر پاکستانی صحافیوں کی میزبانی کی، پاکستان میں ہونے والے ثقافتی سرگرمیوں میں معاونت کی، اور تاعمر قائم رہنےوالی دوستیاں کیں۔
But in early April 2020, the Sindh High Court overturned the convictions and sentences awarded to four men arrested in Daniel’s murder — including Omar Saeed Sheikh, the mastermind of the kidnapping and murder.
لیکن اپریل ۲۰۲۰ کے شروع میں سندھ ہائیکورٹ نے ڈینیئل کے قتل میں ملوث چار لوگوں کی سزا کے فیصلے کو بدلنے کا حکم سنا دیا۔ان میں عمر سعید شیخ کی سزائے موت کا فیصلہ بھی شامل ہے جو کہ اغوا اور قتل کے اس منصوبے کا ماسٹر مائنڈ تھا۔
He tricked and trapped our son — and led him to his death.
وہی تھا جو ڈینئیل کو بہکا کر لے گیا اور کی موت کا باعث بنا۔
We have filed an appeal of this decision with the Pakistan Supreme Court.
ہم نے اس فیصلے کے خلاف پاکستان کے سپریم کورٹ میں اپیل دائر کی ہے۔
We are standing up for justice — not only for our son, but for all of our dear friends in Pakistan, so they can live in a society free of violence and terror, and raise their children in peace and harmony.
ہم انصا ف کے لیے کھڑے ہیں۔ صرف اپنے بیٹےکے لیے ہی نہیں بلکہ پاکستان میں موجود اپنے سب دوستوں کے لیے تا کہ وہ وہ ظلم و خوف سے پاک معاشرے میں رہ سکیں، اور اپنے بچوں کی پرورش پُرامن ماحول میں کر سکیں اور انہں علمی یکجہتی اور ہم آہنگی سے روشناس کرا سکیں۔
Like our son, we believe in the values of peace, friendship, love and justice, and we want to do everything we can to keep Pakistan safe for her citizens.
اپنے بیٹے کی طرح ہم بھی دوستی محبت اور انصاف کی اقدار پر یقین رکھتے ہیں اور پاکستان کو اس کے شہریوں کے لیے محفوظ و مامون دیکھنا چاہتے ہیں۔
We hope that you will stand with us and support our appeal — for all people of conscience.
ہمیں امید ہےکہ ہماری اپیل کو کامیاب کرنے میں آپ ہمارا ساتھ دیں گے
تمام باضمیر لوگوں کے نام۔
May justice and peace prevail. Ameen. Thank you.
انصاف اور امن کا بول بالا ہو۔ آمین- شکریہ
#JusticeForDanielPearl
