'Those responsible for crimes like Pearl's murder should be held accountable'

United Nations, Jan 30 Those responsible for crimes like the murder of journalist Daniel Pearl should be held accountable for their crimes, according to Stephane Dujarric, the spokesperson for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Asked on Friday about the Pakistan Supreme Court upholding the acquittal of Ahmad Omar Saeed Sheikh, who had been convicted by a lower court of the murder of the South Asia bureau chief of The Wall Street Journal, Dujarric said, "What is important is that there be accountability for those crimes."

Pearl was kidnapped in 2002 in Karachi by terrorists, who killed him by slitting his throat and circulating a video of it on the internet.

Saeed and three associates were convicted of Pearl's murder by a court, but the verdict was overturned by the Sindh High Court. The Supreme Court upheld the high court decision on Thursday.

(Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@.in and followed on Twitter at @arulouis)

( With inputs from IANS )