US State Dept. addresses inquiry on Dr Aafia Siddiqui case

WASHINGTON: The United States (US) Department of State responded to inquiry regarding Dr Aafia Siddiqui case.

The Pakistani national is unjustly serving a long sentence in the United States.

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During a recent press briefing, Deputy spokesperson for the State Department, Vedant Patel, stated that he could not comment on specific diplomatic communications related to Dr Aafia’s case.

The MIT graduate and neuroscientist was convicted in 2010 for attempting to kill US military personnel in Afghanistan. Her abduction and subsequent ‘interrogation’ by the US authorities has received huge criticism from rights groups and several advocators in Pakistan.

Several supporters in her native country and human rights groups state that she was wrongfully convicted and subjected to torture, besides allegations of other mismanagement during her incarceration in the US.

Her advocates have carried out a longer, decades-long campaign for her release. They say her trial was flawed and she has endure decades of unjust imprisonment.

Vedant Patel stated that any further inquires regarding Dr Aafia’s case would likely involve the Department of Justice, which manages federal persecutions and appeals.

Besides Dr Aafia’s case, the deputy spokesperson also provided updates on US-India relation, in particular, concerning the investigation into the attempted murder of a Sikh leader by the Indian government, who is US citizen.

Read more: PM writes to US President seeking Dr Aafia Siddiqui’s pardon

Patel confirmed that the two countries were “sharing information” to advance the investigation.