Trial for journalist's alleged killers drawing to a close

Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, one of the defendants in the case.

HYDERABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- A defense lawyer in the 12-week trial for four Islamic radicals accused of kidnapping and killing journalist Daniel Pearl said Tuesday the evidence against his clients is weak.

Defense attorney Rai Bashir told reporters after his closing arguments that there is "a lot of doubt in the evidence, and the benefit should go to the defendants."

The prosecution's closing arguments are scheduled for Wednesday. Public prosecutor Raja Qureshi had no comment for the media Tuesday.

The Wall Street Journal correspondent disappeared in Karachi in January while researching a story about Pakistani militants and Richard Reid, the man charged with trying to detonate explosives in his shoes during a flight from Paris to Miami.

A videotape of the reporter's killing was sent to U.S. officials in February; a body believed to be Pearl's was found in May.

One of the four suspects on trial at the Hyderabad Central Jail -- British-born Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh -- is alleged to be the mastermind of the slaying.

The men are charged with murder, conspiracy to commit kidnapping for ransom and acts of terror, also known as harassment of the public. If convicted, they could face the death penalty.

They have pleaded not guilty to the charges.