WASHINGTON, Feb. 18 (UPI) -- A U.S. embassy employee in Pakistan is innocent of any criminal action because he was acting in self-defense during an attempted robbery, Washington maintains.
Raymond Davis is being held in custody in Pakistan in connection with the fatal shooting of two Pakistani men in January.
A court in Lahore ruled that Islamabad has three weeks to decide if Davis has diplomatic immunity. Washington has stressed that Davis is shielded from prosecution under the Vienna Conventions.
"Our fundamental argument here remains the fact that, under the Vienna Conventions, he should have full diplomatic immunity and should be released immediately, and we call on the Pakistani government to do so," Mark Toner, a deputy spokesman for the U.S. State Department, said.
"That said, we're also saying that he was obviously innocent of any criminal action and was simply defending himself in a botched robbery."
Davis faces an additional charge for carrying a weapon.
Washington postponed a meeting set for later this month in which Pakistan, Afghanistan and the United States were to discuss progress in Afghanistan. The administration also warned that a state visit by Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari in March was in jeopardy if there is no resolution in the Davis matter.
Congress also has threatened to cut military assistance to Pakistan.
