United Nations An expert has demanded that Kenya And Pakistani authorities A Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif Efforts should be accelerated to fully investigate the killings and those responsible should be prosecuted in accordance with the ‘historic verdict’ of a Kenyan court.
Irene Khan, Special Representative for Freedom of Expression at the United Nations, said: ‘It has been almost two years since Arshad Sharif’s death and the Kenyan High Court delivered a historic verdict declaring his killing illegal, arbitrary and inappropriate. But no police officers involved in the shooting have been arrested and no charges have yet been brought by prosecutors in Kenya.’
Statement on the United Nations website “Despite the decision of the High Court of Kenya, I am deeply concerned that neither the Kenyan authorities nor the Pakistani government has stepped up their efforts to fully investigate this case,” the Special Representative said.
Arshad Sharif was killed by Kenyan law enforcement officers on a highway near Nairobi in October 2022. Kenyan security officials called it a case of mistaken identity. On July 8, 2024, following a case filed by Arshad Sharif’s family, the High Court of Kenya ruled that the use of lethal force in the death of Arshad Sharif was illegal and unconstitutional and that the Kenyan state should punish the Sharif family. One crore shillings (77 and a half thousand dollars) should be paid as compensation.
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Irene Khan said that the decision of the High Court is an important victory but its real impact will be felt only when the governments of both Kenya and Pakistan bring the perpetrators of Arshad Sharif’s murder to justice.
A state-sponsored Pakistani special fact-finding team concluded in December 2022 that Arshad Sharif’s death was a planned and targeted killing by international elements. Arshad Sharif had earlier fled Pakistan to avoid arrest and threats to his life for defaming Pakistan’s national institutions.
In October 2023, UN experts wrote to Kenyan and Pakistani authorities demanding a full investigation into the killing and the allegations that led to Arshad’s deportation.
Irene Khan said: ‘Justice for Arshad Sharif and his family will not be possible until the circumstances behind the killing are fully clarified, including that it was an international crime and that Kenya And all those responsible in Pakistan should be identified, prosecuted and punished.’
In February 2023, a joint investigation team set up by Pakistan’s Supreme Court said in its report that Kenyan authorities had denied them access to evidence and the crime scene, effectively blocking their investigation. has been stopped.
Irene Khan said: ‘I urge the governments of Kenya and Pakistan to muster the political will to ensure full accountability and bring to justice all those responsible for the murder of Arshad Sharif so that this case of murder of journalists is brought to justice. to become a historical reference in the fight against immunity.’
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2024-09-27 02:02:17
