Murdered Journalist Daniel Pearl’s Father on Justice

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR: Just tell me your reaction when you heard this terrible news out of Pakistan.

JUDEA PEARL, FATHER OF DANIEL PEARL: We were in shock, in total disbelief. We didn’t expect this kind of outcome. All indications were that the sentiments of the Supreme Court, as well as the public, is for justice and for keeping murderers in jail. But, somehow, there was an unexpected turn of events that shocked us. We can’t believe how a country can afford such a move. You know…

PEARL: Go ahead.

AMANPOUR: I was just going — yes, you go ahead, Judea.

PEARL: When a killer is behind bars, the responsibility and guilt are focused on the face of that killer. But when he is let free, then society as a whole takes responsibility for the crime. And what the Supreme Court of Pakistan has done ends up with handing an indictment over the entire nation for one of the most horrific crimes in the 21st century, a crime against humanity, against journalism, against the core of our civilization. So, we are very shocked. And we hope that some steps will be taken to correct for this injustice. Especially, we are hoping…

AMANPOUR: So…

PEARL: Yes, go ahead.

AMANPOUR: Judea, I just want to ask you what you plan to do to try to correct this injustice, as you say, because I know that you’re appealing to the U.S. government to intercede. What do you think the Biden administration can do? What are you asking your country to do?

PEARL: We are asking that the State Department, as well as the Department of Justice, will pursue vigorously a request for extraditing Omar Sheikh for this crime, as well as other crimes that he has committed against U.S. citizens. And we hope that the Pakistani court and government will respond positively to such a request and deliver Omar Sheikh for — to stand trial in the U.S.