Pakistani scientist's family fears her death in US custody

Sep 10, 2008, 10:19 GMT

Karachi - The family of a Pakistani scientist in US custody fears she may die before her next hearing on September 22 in New York if urgent medical attention is not provided.

Aafia Siddiqui, 36, a US-educated neuroscientist from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), was extradited from Afghanistan after she allegedly seized a rifle from a US Army officer and tried to fire it at the interrogators who arrived in Ghazni, Afghanistan in July to question her about possible terror links.

In the exchange of fire, she was shot in the chest and feet.

'She is still bleeding and hemorrhaging and we the family and her lawyers have no idea if any treatment is being provided to her or not, or whether any antibiotics are administered,' Fauzia Siddiqui, her sister, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

Last week Aafia was indicted in absentia for five counts of attempted murder and assault and faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison on each count.

She refused to appear in court, instead presenting a two-page statement to the New York judge saying she would not appear because of the procedural requirements, that include a strip search, which she considers un-Islamic.

Fauzia said lawyers have been unsuccessfully pleading the US court to transfer the scientist to Bellevue Hospital but no decision had been taken.

Aafia's family fears the mystery surrounding her arrest, which, according to them, is based on 'mistaken identity' will die with her.

Siddiqui went missing five years ago with her three children in Karachi. The family's lawyers alleged she was abducted by Pakistani intelligence in March 2003 and handed over to the US for her alleged al-Qaeda links.

US authorities have denied the claims, saying they only found Aafia in July this year.

After completing her doctoral degree in the United States Aafia returned to Pakistan in February 2003 but failed to secure employment. She reportedly returned to the United States the same year, renting a post office box in her name in Maryland.

Fauzia is also demanding that the US intervene to find Aafia's three children. The Afghan government has confirmed it is detaining the eldest son, Ahmad, 11, while US citizens Mariam, 9, and Suleman, 5, are missing.

'I am particularly concerned of Mariam as you know in Afghanistan girls are sold or married off at the age of seven. I don't know whether she has been sold or still in US custody,' Fauzia said.