Pearl murder trial judge considers verdict

Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh is alleged to be the mastermind of the killing

HYDERABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- The trial in Pakistan of four men accused of kidnapping and killing American journalist Daniel Pearl concluded Wednesday, as the judge retired to consider his ruling.

Although it is not clear when the judge will issue a ruling, there are indications he could deliver his verdict Monday.

Four Islamic radicals have been on trial since since April 22, accused of Pearl's murder earlier this year.

Defense attorney Rai Bashir said the evidence against his clients, British-born Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh and three co-defendants, is weak.

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

Public prosecutor Raja Qureshi said in his closing argument at the Hyderabad Central Jail, that the four were guilty of kidnapping Pearl and argued that their defense was founded only on technicalities.

Qureshi said the prosecution has a good case against them and he would be seeking the death penlty for all four accused.

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Judge Arshad Noor Khan, who was formerly assigned to the trial, was present during a hearing in which Saeed made a supposed confession, saying that he kidnapped Pearl and that Pearl was dead.

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, and a body believed to be that of Pearl's was found in May. Police said the identification would be possible after DNA test results are released.

During the trial, the courtroom watched a gruesome, three-minute videotape apparently showing the reporter's killing.

Defense lawyers questioned its authenticity and admissibility, arguing that Pakistani law requires either a witness to the production of a video or the producer of the video to appear in court to authenticate it.

The only actual eye-witness called during the trial was a taxi driver who took Pearl to an appointment in the southern port city of Karachi -- he was the last person to see the journalist alive.

A body believed to be Pearl's was found in May.

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.

Police say the case remains open and they are continuing to hunt several other suspects believed to have been involved in Pearl's abduction.

-- CNN Correspondent Tom Mintier in Islamabad contributed to this report