Court in Pakistan releases four held in prison for abduction of journalist Daniel Pearl

A court in Pakistan on Thursday ordered the immediate release of the four men who have been held in prison since the 2002 murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl. 

The four were convicted for their role in the kidnapping of Pearl but were acquitted on murder charges. Prosecutors have appealed their acquittal.

The Sindh High Court in Karachi, however, has called their continued detainment "illegal," according to the Dawn newspaper.

The release of the four prisoners has resulted in a strong backlash from Jewish organizations and media foundations. The France-based group, Reporters Without Borders, criticized the court's decision, tweeting that it symbolizes "the impunity of crimes against journalists."

The Committee to Protect Journalists tweeted that "the release of British-born Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, who masterminded Pearl's abduction and killing, would increase 'the threats facing journalists in Pakistan.'"

The Jewish organization B'nai B'rith International said in a statement, "This decision is not only a miscarriage of justice, it is also an insult to the memory of Daniel Pearl and to his family."

Pearl, 38 at the time, was the South Asia bureau chief for The Wall Street Journal, working on a story about Islamic jihadists following the 9/11 attacks on America. He was abducted and beheaded in Karachi in 2002. 

It was captured on video, which included Pearl saying the words, "My father is Jewish, my mother is Jewish, I am Jewish," just moments before he was killed.