Rights groups question Pearl murder trial

The suspects will be tried under tight security

By Susannah Price BBC correspondent in Islamabad

Human rights groups have expressed concern about the upcoming trial in Pakistan of four men accused of kidnapping and murdering the American journalist Daniel Pearl.

The four men, who include the chief suspect British-born Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, will face charges of murder and kidnapping during the trial which is now expected to begin on 22 April.

They will be tried in an anti terrorism court inside Karachi's central prison.

The authorities say this is necessary because of security.

They fear Islamic militants could otherwise try to carry out an attack.

But human rights groups say they are concerned about the use of an anti-terrorism court saying that standards of proof are lower.

'Insufficient' evidence

"We are opposed to the use of anti-terrorism courts because they do not equate with the due process of law", said IA Rehman of Pakistan's Human Rights Commission.

Journalists and public have been barred from trial

"The accused has to prove he or she is not guilty and the proceedings can be curtailed by a judge", he said.

Defence lawyers say the evidence is circumstantial and insufficient to convict the accused.

But the prosecution say they are confident that the evidence is enough to prove the case.

The prosecution say they believe the trial, once it begins, will be over within seven to 10 days.

Lack of access

However Amnesty International has warned that the short time period may not give the defence adequate time to build up a case.

Lawyers are among those against anti-terrorism courts

There are also concerns that the trial is taking place behind closed doors.

Journalists and the public have been barred from attending and only a handful of relatives were present during Friday's proceedings.

"This should be a public trial", said Mr Rehman. "We don't agree that they can hold it where they want and order people out".

The lack of access has meant the media is forced to rely on the lawyers for descriptions of what happened - and the prosecution and defence have previously contradicted each other's accounts.

Contempt petition

Defence lawyers say they have filed a contempt of court application against Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf for an interview with a German magazine in which he allegedly said he wanted to see Omar Sheikh sentenced to death.

Pictures of Daniel Pearl in captivity were e-mailed

The application said General Musharraf had tried to give the impression that the "trial is to end in a conviction no matter what the merits of the case".

Mr Pearl was researching a story on Islamic militants in Karachi when he disappeared in January.

A few days later photographs of the journalist with a gun to his head were e-mailed to various news organisations along with demands which included the release of Pakistanis being held by the Americans on suspicion of being al-Qaeda or Taleban supporters.

A month after the disappearance, a video showing Mr Pearl having his throat slit was delivered to the American consulate in Karachi.

Absconders

However his body has not been found nor has any murder weapon.

The three other suspects, who are in custody with Omar Sheikh are alleged to have been involved in e-mailing the photographs.

The trial did not begin on Friday because the judge officially announced that seven other suspects, who have not been caught, were absconders and gave them seven days to surrender.

Omar Sheikh has also been indicted by an American court for kidnapping that resulted in Mr Pearl's death and the Americans have asked for his extradition.

However, the Pakistani authorities say he must face justice in Pakistan first.