5 May 2005

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has called on a Pakistani court to over-turn a one-year prison sentence against a journalist who has been unjustly persecuted by Pakistani authorities.

"The use of excessive laws to reign in the free and independent media in Pakistan must be stopped," said IFJ President Christopher Warren.

"The sentence against Mehdi must be dropped if journalists and the people of Pakistan are to have any confidence in the justice system."

A special anti-terrorism court in Quetta sent a mixed message to journalists after dropping charges of sedition and conspiracy against journalist Khawar Mehdi Rizvi but upholding a one-year prison sentence he received for failing to attend his trial.

Mehdi fled the country at the end of 2004 after a debacle in which he was held secretly by military intelligence for more than 40 days after being arrested on 16 December 2003 with two French journalists. The three were arrested by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for violating the Foreigners Act 1964 by travelling to the border region in western Pakistan without special permission.

On 25 January 2004, Mehdi was charged with sedition and conspiracy. The sedition charge, which carries a life sentence, was made against Mehdi for allegedly abetting foreign journalists in preparing an allegedly fake film "showing Pakistan in a bad light". Mehdi was eventually released on bail on 29 March 2004, and the charges were finally dropped, nearly a year later on 23 March 2005, due to a lack of evidence.

"It has taken more than a year for the courts to throw-out the unfounded charges against Mehdi, but the court is continuing its persecution of him by imposing this one-year sentence," said Warren, "Journalists have the right to report freely and should not be in fear of unjust persecution for their contribution in ensuring the vitality of the free press."

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