On August 5, 2008, CHUP first reported about Dr. Afia Siddiqui, the Pakistani woman who, along with her three children, disappeared in early 2003. Many, including her family and several human rights groups, claim that Afia was actually Prisoner 650, a prisoner-of-war who was reportedly held without trial in a U.S. prison in Afghanistan. Despite the allegations that Siddiqui was held in U.S. custody, particularly after the FBI in 2004 described her as an “Al Qaeda operative and facilitator who posed a clear and present danger to America,” her whereabouts for the past five years were never confirmed. In July 2008, however, Afia allegedly “reappeared” when she attacked and shot a U.S. military officer in Afghanistan. Afia was then transported to New York, where she was charged with one count of attempting to kill U.S. officers and employees, and one count of assaulting U.S. officers and employees, with a maximum 20 years in prison on each charge, [no charges related to the terrorism allegations have been raised]. On September 4th, media outlets reported that she was indicted on those charges.
This week, news agencies provided further updates on Dr. Afia Siddiqui’s trial. BBC News on Tuesday reported that Afia “has been deemed by U.S. psychiatrists as mentally unfit to stand trial.” The news agency added, “They have concluded that Afia Siddiqui is unable to understand the nature and consequences of court proceedings and cannot assist properly in her defense…The evaluation was performed at a medical center in Fort Worth, Texas,” where she is currently in custody. On Wednesday, Judge Richard Berman affirmed to the federal court that the defendant was not competent to continue with the trial, emphasizing that her “course of treatment should continue.”
According to a Pakistani news agency, Afia’s lawyer, Elizabeth Fink, told the court that her client was “hallucinating” about her family, saying, “She [Afia] believes she lives with two of the children.” As we learned in September, Afghanistan’s government handed over custody of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui’s son Muhammad Ahmed to Pakistani authorities. Of her other two children, [that went missing in 2003], one is allegedly dead, while the other is still missing.
Meanwhile, the controversial case has stirred public concern and outrage in Pakistan. Her family insists that Afia is “innocent of any crime” and deny that she has connections to Al Qaeda. According to a Pakistani news agency, “A leading Pakistani human rights activist has reportedly filed a constitutional petition seeking intervention by the Sindh High Court (SHC) to ensure the release and safe return of Dr. Afia Siddiqui.” According to the Nation, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani also recently told the Parliament that he had conveyed to the U.S. Ambassador the Pakistan’s concern over Dr. Afia Siddiqui’s continuous detention in the U.S., demanding that she be sent back to Pakistan “immediately on medical grounds.”
It is a case marred by controversy, ambiguity, and human tragedy. Regardless of what Afia Siddiqui is guilty of, her disappearance, and more importantly, the disappearance of her three young children for five years are cause for concern and hold further ramifications for the deepening anti-U.S. sentiment in Pakistan.
[…] UPDATE [11/21]: Afia Siddiqui deemed unfit for trial – click here for latest CHUP article. […]
This is such a tragedy. A highly educated woman (PHD from MIT) is now mentally unfit and unable to understand what’s going on around her. I don’t know what the actual truth behind all the stories is but our government needs to ensure that she is granted the rights all humans deserve.
Where is she better off though? In a mental health facility, where I’d assume her lawyer is making sure she gets the best treatment possible or back in Pakistan?
Kals – I don’t like that picture of Dr. Siddique. It’s really gruesome and depicts her in a bad light. I wish the media would stop portraying her as some mentally insane chick who needs rehab in an institution.
Circumstances do that to people. And maybe the best treatment could be love and affection and being surrounded by family, not always how many Prozacs you’re taking or how much solitude is good for you to recover.
Kals, I agree with YH. I think the best possible place for her to be would be with her family and loved ones. This is truly very tragic.
I agree, she needs to be with her mother and children. If even half of the stories about how she has been treated are true then what has happened to her is absolutely horrifying. Also, this picture is SO disturbing. All of her pictures from Boston show her as a simple, sweet and innocent looking young lady.
Also, about her lawyers ensuring she gets the best treatment. Afia was left with an open wound for days on end…I don’t think her lawyers are capable of doing much when the FBI and other authorities have predetermined her verdict.
@PK,
Dr. Aafia’ case is not at all an ordinary case, neither
in USA, nor in Pakistan, they have killed her two other
kids I gather, one is delivered to Pak authorities, all of
us agree ” her life is finished ” she should stay there get
treated, get justice, get compensation and run a
campaign against such crimes against humanity, USA
society must be taught something they can never be
taught in their schools. Then she should come home to
settle her scores with the establishment inside Pakistan,
its worth for her to finish the job over there.
Pakistan Govt. wants to get rid of this ” un-financial ” dry
f****g Human Rights horendous, hideous problem against
USA, The Human Rights, Amnesty Int. Pakistan, all of them
should stuff all the 30 articles of Human Right convention
1948 in their………………
Mr. Iqbal Haider and Asma Jehangir, I request you both
to have the courage to comment on the above on this
blog with of course Kalsoom’s consent !!
Sorry for unpleasant remarks !!!
[…] news, prisoner of war, psychiatrists, qaeda operative, richard berman, week news Read more at: CHUP! – Changing Up Pakistan This post […]
I think the case of Dr Siddiqi is absolutely tragic and yet another stain on the US’s credibility. The fact that the circumstances surrounding her disappearance and her captivity are so ambiguous means that the manner in which the case has been handled is not above board. Pakistan’s administration should address the issue head on instead of skirting the issue. Doesn’t PM Zardari see this as significant? Or is he too busy appointing his cronies to their undeserved positons and sucking up to rich ex-pats and the US administration? Complete silence at his end.
No need to apologize at all Rafay! Your comments were great. Asma Jahangir & co have been so vocal about everything else but Afia…would be interesting to see an interview with them over this issue.
Should I change the picture I have up? I think she should be with family as well, btw, I was posing the question as a devil’s advocate. I do think she is entitled to the best care possible though.
Im glad you changed the picture Kals!
Yup, that pic is so much better. And I never did think why HRCP is not commenting on Aafia S. That’s an interesting observation!
MAY ALLAHA ACCEPT THE SACRIFICES OF AFIA.SISTER MY DUAS R WD U.OUR HEART CRY . . . . . BT I DO NOTHING BT DUAS.
Pakistan should immediately withdraw transit facilities given to US and NATO Military Shipment to Afghanistan, as the US continues to keep Dr. Afia in their custody on basis of thier cooked story on which no one can believe. We must realize that our cruel leaders have ability to negotiate rescheduling of loans but they cant negotiate or pressurize US to release afia.
Join This Group: Stop US/NATO shipments for Release of Dr Afia Siddiqui
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=101968697859
Please ALLAH show a miracle to the world and let her out and away from the US……..back to her homeland.
It is indeed criminal the way this woman is being treated. I am sure that the incarceration that she has experienced will have had a detrimental impact upon her well being and mental health. Don’t forget one of the traditional ways of ensuring a womans silence is to describe her as mad and have her placed on psychotropic drugs. When it comes to taking care of woman in this category they have few if any rights afforded them and the lawyers are often not working in the best interest of their clients. What this woman needs is a top flight human rights lawyer to question the actions of the US legal system and their attempts to prevent this woman from making her case….any woman who has 3 children and does not have a clue about where they are must experience deep trauma and I am sure that this has been used as a lever to extract information from her. Yesterday the UK paper The guardian ran a 4 page article about her, it seems one of her children is with her sister but the whereabouts of the other 2 remains a mystery…also the lost years appear to remain unaccounted for….she was also the subject of domestic violence from her husband….
This woman needs our continued support and we must write to our MPs and keeping asking questions about her welfare. By defining her as unfit to plead means they can keep her indefinately locked up in a mental hospital…..to keep her drugged and quite. She must be so disorientated and that is aprt of the program that is used to subjugate and demoralise.
Truly terrible…
The link to that Guardian article (an interesting read):
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/24/aafia-siddiqui-al-qaida
i am crying and always pray for Aafia. God will punish them. world will see the truth like bin ladin.