KARACHI: Clive Stafford Smith, the American attorney representing Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, stated on Saturday that he had spent the previous ten days looking for additional proof of her mistreatment while in US custody.
Speaking at a press conference alongside Dr. Aafia’s sister, Dr. Fowzia Siddiqui, Mr. Smith stated that he had been searching for more proof of Dr. Aafia’s abuse while in US custody and her innocence of the allegations day and night with the incredibly helpful help of many people in Afghanistan.
He said that multiple eyewitness accounts demonstrated that Dr. Aafia spent a large portion of the five years she was absent (2003–2008) in Bagram before being transferred to an even worse prison. He went on, “Those who claim she was free at the time are just not telling the truth.”
According to the attorney, Dr. Aafia was dispatched to Ghazni on July 17, 2008, with the understanding that she would return her daughter Maryam. The only thing that spared her life, he added, was a courageous Ghazni tailor who employed across from the Khalid Bin Walid Mosque and had been able to speak Urdu with her. “We are now able to demonstrate that this was a sham, and a call had been placed to the police that she was a suicide bomber,” he said.
He claimed that by confirming Dr. Aafia’s innocence, standing between her and the AK-47-wielding Afghan National Police officers, and informing them that the caller was lying, the tailor stopped Dr. Aafia from being shot. Mr. Smith continued, “We have discovered other witnesses to support the tailor’s testimony.
The attorneys claimed to have information showing that all of the testimony given during Dr. Aafia’s American trial was fraudulent.
Dr. Fowzia Siddiqui claimed that although everyone was speaking out in favor of women’s rights, everyone fell silent when Dr. Aafia Siddiqui’s name was mentioned.
She claimed that countries that remain silent about their moms’ and daughters’ safety and security don’t take pride in their place in the world.
She claimed that the country had been let down by politicians and succeeding administrations on the Dr. Aafia affair. She stated, “I have no hope that our spineless politicians would do anything for Aafia,” but she was optimistic about the justice system’s ability to help.
