Kenyan pathologist rejects claims of torture on Arshad Sharif
Dr Ahmed Kalebi, a Kenya’s consultant pathologist, has refuted the claims by Pakistani media that slain journalist Arshad Sharif was tortured for 2 to 3 hours before his murder.
A Kenyan newspaper quoted a local expert who analysed Arshad Sharif’s post-mortem findings and rejected the notion that he was tortured.
A report published in Kenya’s newspaper stated that some Pakistani media channels tried to cast doubt on the official position of the Kenyan authorities that Arshad Sharif was shot by the police as a result of mistaken identity.
The claim of torture on Arshad Sharif before his death first came to light when a Pakistani journalist gave the shocking details of senior journalist’s murder.
The journalist had claimed that Arshad Sharif was subjected to brutal torture for more than 3 hours and his fingernails were pulled from his fingers before being killed. He added that, Arshad’s fingers and ribs were also broken due to severe torture.
Describing Arshad Sharif’s death as a premeditated murder, the journalist claimed that the bullets were shot from close range on the back of Arshad Sharif’s head.
In this regard, the Kenyan newspaper ‘Nation’ contacted a consultant pathologist based in Nairobi, Dr. Ahmed Kalebi, who analysed two reports of Arshad Sharif’s post-mortem.
He pointed out that the time interval between the injury sustained by Arshad Sharif and his death was 10 to 30 minutes.
“Whereas the report doesn’t elaborate on the reasoning behind the time interval from injury to death, it appears that this estimation was made on the basis of the injuries seen in the brain and the right lung rather than any particular histopathological examination or further scientific examination analysis,” Dr Kalebi explained.
Dr. Ahmed Kalibi explained that the post-mortem reports conducted in Kenya and Pakistan showed no evidence of torture.
“The report has not documented any evidence of other injuries that would be consistent with torture, nor does it indicate that the deceased was tortured before death,” he said.
