THE family of a British-born Islamic militant who was sentenced to death in Pakistan for the kidnap and murder of US reporter Daniel Pearl last night condemned his trial as "farcical to the point of absurdity".
Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, 28, was a victim of a "grotesque miscarriage of justice", his brother Awais Sheikh said in a statement.
"The family will not stand by and let one of its members be executed for a crime he did not commit," said Mr Sheikh, of Wanstead, east London.
"We regard this verdict to be a grotesque miscarriage of justice. An appeal is being prepared to take this matter to the High Court. We are confident that Sheikh will be found innocent and acquitted of all charges."
Sheikh, a former London School of Economics student, was the chief defendant in the trial. Three other Islamic militants were convicted and jailed for 25 years each.
The verdicts were handed down by Judge Ali Ashraf Shah at the special anti-terrorism court in Hyderabad prison where the trial was held.
The defendants were also collectively fined £20,000. Chief prosecutor Raja Quereshi said the money would go to Mr Pearl's widow and their baby son.
