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CNN Live Today

Suspects in Daniel Pearl Case Face Indictment Next Week

Aired March 29, 2002 - 13:50   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: April 5 has been set as the date to indict suspects in Daniel Pearl's killing. Accused mastermind Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh appeared in court today along with a second suspect. Our Ash-Har Quraishi reports from Karachi.

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ASH-HAR QURAISHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): The suspected mastermind in the kidnapping and murder of "Wall Street Journal" reporter Daniel Pearl appeared once again in a Karachi court. Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh arrived amidst heavy security again today. This time, his head though not shrouded for identification purposes. Saeed entered the courtroom today, but he was taken to chambers, closed chambers, where the final charge sheet was issued by the prosecution and is similar to what we saw last week, the same charges holding those three, including kidnapping for ransom, acts of terror as well as murder.

Now, there are four suspects currently in custody. Those four will appear next week in a date that's been set today. That date, April 5, at which time an indictment is expected to be handed down and possibly the trial could begin. Saeed said last week that he would not trust defense lawyers here in Pakistan, saying that he would handle his own defense. So today, we saw new defense was assigned to him. That was something that his father had actually done. His father appearing for the first time in the courthouse here in Pakistan saying that he believed his son was innocent and that he hopes that justice would be done here in the courts.

Now, what we expect to see in the next week or so is the defense, the new defense, preparing for this trial. The trial is supposed to, under Pakistani law, last seven days. Now if convicted of these charges, these men could face the death penalty.

Ash-Har Quraishi, CNN, Karachi, Pakistan.

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