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Alert

French journalists released on bail, petition filed on behalf of Pakistani journalist

(PPF/IFEX) - On 24 December 2003, the Sindh High Court released French journalists Marc Epstein and Jean-Paul Guilloteau on bail of Rs. 100,000 (approx. US$1,750) each. The two journalists were arrested on 16 December on charges of violating the Foreigners Act for visiting the city of Quetta, in Baluchistan, without a proper visa.

Their lawyer, Nafis Siddiqui, argued that Epstein and Guilloteau entered Pakistan legally and visited Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi with valid visas issued by the Pakistani embassy in Paris. He said the journalists could only be held liable for non-compliance with the conditions set out in their visas. Siddiqui further added that they visited Quetta as professional journalists and the visa violations they are accused of could be resolved by "post facto permission." Moreover, the offences the journalists were accused of were bailable under the Foreigners Act. Siddiqui said his clients, if released on bail, would neither abscond nor tamper with evidence.

Appearing on behalf of the state, Standing Counsel Mehmood Alam Rizvi did not object to the request for bail and agreed that the offences were bailable. The court granted the bail applications after hearing the arguments of both the journalists' and the state's lawyers.

The trial court ordered that the French journalists' passports remain in the Federal Investigation Agency's (FIA) possession and adjourned the hearing until 10 January 2004.

Meanwhile, on 24 December, a habeas corpus petition was filed on behalf of Sohail Mehdi Rizvi, challenging the detention of his brother, Khawar Mehdi Rizvi, the Pakistani freelance journalist who had been assisting Epstein and Guilloteau. A Sindh High Court division bench, comprised of Justices Muhammad Roshan Essani and Zia Pervez, instructed the deputy attorney general and the FIA to submit their comments on 30 December.
Lawyer Abid Saqi, who filed the petition, stated that Khawar Mehdi Rizvi was detained along with the French journalists at a hotel in Karachi on 16 December. His whereabouts are unknown, although he was shown on the state-run Pakistan Television's PTV World on 23 December. The court was asked to ensure his safety and release from detention as his family is concerned that he could be tortured and coerced to "make a suitable statement".

The petition contended that Khawar Mehdi Rizvi's detention was unlawful and illegal and that he should be released.