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Alert

Two French journalists arrested in Karachi for violating immigration laws

(PPF/IFEX) - Two French journalists were arrested in Karachi on the night of 16 December 2003 for violating Pakistan's immigration laws. They were remanded to the custody of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for investigation until 24 December.

Marc Epstein and Jean-Paul Guilloteau, who both work for the leading French weekly magazine "L'Express", were arrested at their Karachi hotel by FIA Passport Circle Deputy Director Muhammad Malik, for visiting the city of Quetta, in Balochistan province, near neighbouring Afghanistan, for which they did not obtain the required visas.

According to Malik, Epstein arrived in Karachi on 7 December. His colleague Guilloteau entered Pakistan via the Wagah border, near Lahore, with visas valid for the cities of Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore. Both journalists later travelled to Islamabad and contacted the authorities for permission to travel to Quetta. Malik said that although they did not receive the required permission, they nonetheless left Islamabad for Quetta by road on 9 December and returned to Karachi on 14 December.

Malik said he went to the Karachi hotel on the night of 16 December, where Epstein and Guilloteau were staying, and examined their passports, which did not contain visas to visit Quetta. He said the French journalists were then arrested for violating Provision 946 of the Foreigners Act.

The French Consulate in Karachi hired the country's leading lawyer, Nafis Siddiqui, to appear for Epstein and Guilloteau in court. Siddiqui, along with French Consul Christian Rohaut, met with the journalists on 16 December at the FIA Passport Circle office, where they have been placed in custody.