Dr. Afia Siddiqui’s family moves court after reports of virus spread in US prisons

Special Dr. Afia Siddiqui’s family moves court after reports of virus spread in US prisons
In this file photo, Fowzia Siddiqui, left, sister of US detained Pakistani woman Aafia Siddiqui, speaks during a news conference with her mother Ismat Siddiqui , right, at their house in Karachi on Sept. 23, 2010. (AFP)
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Updated 08 April 2020
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Dr. Afia Siddiqui’s family moves court after reports of virus spread in US prisons

Dr. Afia Siddiqui’s family moves court after reports of virus spread in US prisons
  • Siddiqui is currently serving an 86-year jail term at a US prison in Texas
  • She was convicted in 2010 on seven counts of attempted murder and assault of US personnel in Afghanistan

KARACHI: Family of 47-year-old Pakistani neuroscientist Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, who is currently jailed in the United States on terrorism charges, has moved court for “proof” of her well-being after reports of coronavirus spread in US jails emerged, Fouzia Siddiqui, her sister and petitioner, told Arab News on Wednesday.
“It’s very difficult for anyone to imagine our feelings right now,” she said after attending a court hearing wherein the Sindh High Court issued notices to all the respondents, including Pakistan’s foreign office (FO) and the US consulate general in Karachi, for the next hearing on April 16, 2020.
“According to reports in American media, over 100,000 prisoners are expected to die of coronavirus in US prisons,” she said, adding that the “news has increased woes of the family which has not spoken to her for more than three years now.
The US consulate in Karachi did not respond to Arab News’ request for a comment while Pakistan foreign office’s spokesperson, Aisha Farooqi, did not revert until the filing of this report.
Dr. Aafia, 47, was convicted in 2010 on seven counts of attempted murder and assault of US personnel in Afghanistan. She is currently serving an 86-year jail term at the Federal Medical Center, Carswell in Fort Worth, Texas.
Last week Siddiqui filed a constitutional petition in Sindh High Court, praying to direct the respondents to provide proof of Dr. Afia’s wellbeing through live video call with family and submit her health report, which was Dr. Afia’s fundamental, basic and constitutional right.
The petition further sought Dr. Afia’s urgent release on medical grounds.
In her petition, Siddiqui maintained that ”a US Court illegally, unlawfully tried the case of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui because Aafia was a Pakistani citizen and she was handed over to USA without any jurisdiction, forcibly and without giving her fair opportunity of trial, and later she was intentionally convicted for 86 years in prison without any justification and lawful reasons.”
Siddiqui submitted before the court that “the report by the consul general of Pakistan in Houston in 2019 is testament to this. She has no contact with her family for over 3 years now, whereas the prison manual allows phone call, video calls and visitation but Aafia is denied all basic rights,” the petitioner further maintained.
The petitioner claimed the government of Pakistan had not raised tangible concerns with the US government for not providing basic health facilities including medical aid, proper foods and physical exercise to Aafia and no steps were taken to protect her from physical and sexual assault and religious harassment.
“At present, the whole world is facing coronavirus pandemic without any cure and medicine,” Siddiqui said in her petition while further highlighting media reports of virus outbreak in US prison facilities that have no preventive or precautionary measures.
“We are extremely worried about Afia’s life and health,” Siddiqui told Arab News. “Getting no response from the government of Pakistan, we are hopeful that the court will help ease our miseries,” she said.