NYC: Solidarity with Dr. Aafia Siddiqui: Fill the Court Room EVERY Day of the Trial

Dr Aafia Siddiqui’s trail continues Monday, January 25 and EVERY DAY at 9:00am. In an effort to intimidate Dr Siddiqui’s supporters court officials have harassed observers by taking I.D. numbers before they entered the courtroom.

Pakistan USA Freedom Forum is asking organizations concerned with human, civil and constitutional rights, political parties, and media to demand fair and open courts, and is insisting that Judge Berman, halt this intimidating attempt to deny justice to Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, publicly identify why this information was collected, find whether it was shared with any other agencies, and destroy any data collected in the process.

An end to this intimidating practice will help ensure a fair and open trial for Dr. Aafia Siddiqui and all people brought before the court.

In Pakistan Dr Aafia Siddiqui is considered to be a ‘Daughter of the nation”. The Pakistani Supreme court recently called her case “the most important challenge for the country.” The Pakistani Parliament passed an overwhelming resolution in support of her and has forced the government to pay for her legal defense in U.S. courts.

Dr. Aafia Siddiqui’s torture and secret detention by U.S. forces in Afghanistan aroused enormous anger and indignation. Her continued imprisonment in solitary confinement in U.S. prisons and the continuing brutal strip searches that she is subjected are internationally condemned.

Dr Aafia is a 36-year-old Pakistani woman who is a U.S. educated neuroscientist. She was illegally kidnapped with her three young children in Karachi, Pakistan in 2003 and taken to U.S. custody in Afghanistan, where she was held in secret detention and tortured for 5 years. She was shot and severely wounded during an interrogation by FBI agents in July 2008. She is charged with attempted murder of FBI agent(s) in Afghanistan. According to the prosecutors and all U.S. officials, she has no links to any ‘terrorist organizations’.

Forensic evidence supports Dr Aafia Siddiqui’s innocence. Dr. Aafia's fingerprints were NOT on any gun, nor her DNA nor any residue nor any bullets.

The only fact that all witnesses agree on is that Dr. Aafia herself was shot by U.S. personnel then taken from Ghazni to Bagram and finally flown to New York to be charged. Dr. Aafia Siddiqui at every court appearance continues to refuse her lawyers, to declare to the court that she has been tortured and to decry the pain of strip searches.

Her family, friends and lawyers believe her continuing statements that she was tortured in Afghanistan and the children were terrorized in US custody. The family and friends have fought for support from the Pakistani government and international human rights organizations.

The International Action Center, www.IACenter.org urges full support for the international call to Free Dr. Aafia Siddiqui!

* Justice and a full accounting for ALL the missing and secretly detained prisoners in Pakistan and around the world!
* Fill the court every day of sister Aafia’s trial - Judge Richard Berman Court Room


For more information contact:

Comrade Shahid, Secretary General, Pakistan USA Freedom Forum,
pakusaff@hotmail.com -- Ph: 917 280 0840

Cage Prisoners
www.cageprisoners.com – Aafia Siddiqui
news@freeaafia.org

International Action Center,
55 West 17th St, #5C,
New York, NY 10011
Ph: 212-633-6646 – www.IACenter.org