The Strange case of Aafia Siddiqui (continued)Aafia Siddiqui is an American-educated Pakistani woman, who disappeared under mysterious circumstances five years ago shortly after leaving her Mother’s home. Since her disappearance, numerous reports have surfaced alleging that she was kidnapped by Pakistani Security agents and handed over to U.S. authorities. The FBI were seeking information from Dr. Aafia and had already indicated that she was a "terrorist" suspect. Her American lawyer says that after being handed over to the Americans, she was taken to Afghanistan and spent five years there incarcerated in a U.S.-controlled prison facility at Bagram airbase.
In July of this year Dr. Aafia was arrested by Afghan police. A U.S. spokesman said she was arrested while "loitering" in the street near an Afghan police station. The FBI says that shortly after that – U.S. agents and military personnel made arrangements to question her. They allege that somehow she got hold of a gun belonging to one of the soldiers and began shooting. However, none of the Americans was wounded.
She was charged with attempting to kill American officials and taken to New York to be arraigned.
A Judge ordered her to receive medical and psychiatric treatment and Aafia has now been transferred to a womens medical and psychiatric institution at the Carswell Airbase, near Fort Worth Texas.
Dr. Aafia’s Pakistani supporters fear that she will be mistreated at the Carswell prison and say they are concerned for her physical well being.
The prison has a history of mysterious deaths and unusual medical practices, including forced medication of inmates.
Journalist Betty Brink of the Fort Worth Weekly wrote this report about Carswell in 2005.
Brink wrote a second article about the same facility this year for Ms. Magazine.
Other articles have described the facility as "an American Gulag", a "hellhole", and a "snake-pit".
It would seem that there may be some basis for the fears expressed by Aafia’s Pakistani supporters.
“Aafia Siddiqui’s supporters” (in the title) and “Aafia’s Pakistani supporters” doesnt seem to be the right attributions, since the views are shared by human rights acitivists across borders. In fact, majority of “Pakistani supporters” were roused to feel or learn about this case after international human rights activists took up the issue.