SEPTEMBER 23, 2010
The Date Judge Richard Berman Sentenced Aafia to 86 Years
September 23, 2011
Vol 4, Issue 4
Aafia Allowed Visit From Family Member After 2-1/2 Years!
A message from Aafia's family after Aafia is allowed to visit with her brother for the first time in almost 2-1/2 years:
Last April we were both honored and stunned when a hundred Americans gave up part of their Saturday to stand outside Carswell Prison for several hours in the hot Texas sun to support our family's effort to contact Aafia. The actions of those courageous people responding to a call by The Peace Thru Justice Foundation paid off almost immediately. Five days later Aafia was allowed to call her family and she got to hear her children's voices for the first time in eight years.
This demonstration also set off an unexpected chain of events. Within days the Pakistani Consulate responsible for the affairs of its citizens in Texas visited Carswell and began communication with prison officials.
On the weekend of September 10, 2011, Aafia's brother was finally allowed to visit her.
This was their first visit in almost two and a half years.
The last time they saw each other was at her sentencing hearing almost a year ago. Throughout the trial and sentencing proceedings they were not allowed to speak to each other and one of the court officers made a point of sitting directly between them so they couldn't see each other.
We believe this visit is the direct result of the willingness of American citizens to exercise their First Amendment right "of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
Our family would also like to thank the International Justice Network for their advice and support.
Credit must also be given to Pakistan's Consulate in Houston for their assistance and contributions in this effort.
Requests have been made for future visits in October and November.
We are troubled because this visit required so much effort and persistence by so many. The system says that as long as Aafia obeys prison rules she is entitled to have visitors. We have not been told that Aafia has violated the rules. We have been told that "our normal rules don't seem to apply to your sister."
We are not asking for special conditions or priveleges for Aafia. We are asking that the rules that apply to all the other prisoners be applied to her too.
Thank you for your support and God bless all of you.
Aafia's Family
TV Report on Aafia Day (English) and other reports in URDU at freeaafia.org or CLICK here
Aafia Day was commemorated across Pakistan on Sep 16, 2011
Tens of Thousands Come out On Aafia Day Across Pakistan on Sep 16
NATION, Sep 17, 2011
LAHORE - Jamaat-e-Islami observed Dr Aafia Siddiqui Day across the country including the City on Friday. Rallis were held in the federal and the provincial capitals besides major cities denouncing the US court verdict of 86 years jail term for Dr Aafia Siddiqui ...and demanding her immediate release.
In the Punjab capital, women and children held a demonstration outside the Lahore Press Club to draw the world attention to the injustice done to Pakistan's daughter by the US court and demanding her release. JI deputy Secretary General Dr Farid Ahmed Piracha, while addressing the gathering, said that Dr Aafia was a daughter of Islam but the military dictator Pervez Musharraf, in a show of utter shamelessness, handed her over to the US for dollars. He deplored that the present rulers too were devoid of any sense of shame and honour and had taken no solid steps for Dr Aafia's release. However, he said, the Pakistani nation was fully awake and would continue its struggle for Dr Aafia's release.
In Islamabad, a seminar was held at Al-Flah Hall. Addressing the seminar, JI Secretary General Liaqat Baloch said that the JI would continue its struggle till Dr Aafia's release. He said that the US, India and Israel were trying to destabilize Pakistan. In Multan, a rally was held from Chowk Ghanta Ghar to Husain Agahi. The JI Punjab chief, Dr Syed Waseem Akhtar, led the rally. Rallies were also held in Peshawar, Hyderabad, Sukkur, and Quetta.
In Karachi, a big rally was held from Empress Road to Regal Chowk. The JI chief Syed Munawar Hasan, Dr Fauzia Siddiqui, and JI Karachi chief, Muhammad Husain Mehnati, led the rally. Addressing the rally, Syed Munawar Hasan said that the Pakistani rulers had sold out Dr Aafia Siddiqui to the US for dollars. He said according to reports, the US court kept waiting for a contact from Islamabad for Dr Aafia's release but it was in vain.
Syed Munawar Hasan ... (asked) why the Pakistani rulers and army had released Raymond Davis, the killer of three innocent citizens. He said the Pakistani nation could have secured Dr Aafia's release long ago but for the shameless rulers who had shown total lack of courage...
DAWN
Sep 17, 2011
PESHAWAR, Sept 16: Activists of Shabab-i-Milli on Friday held a protest demonstration at Sher Shah Suri Road against the imprisonment of Dr Aafia and asked the Muslim Ummah to raise voice against the US.
The people were holding banners and placards inscribed with slogans against the arrest of the Pakistani woman and termed the verdict against her as based on mala fide intentions. Murder and Torture, the Lasting Legacy of America
Salem-News, Sep 21, 2011
by Gordon Duff
... Every person "missing" has to be accounted for. When were they taken, where did they go, where are they now. If they are alive, their testimony must be taken. If they cannot be found, we can assume they were murdered at one of our "rendition centers" around the world, their bodies disposed of....
We have to recognize everyone involved in this process, not just the Americans, the thousands of Pakistanis, Egyptians, Libyans, people from so many countries that sold their neighbors for a few pieces of silver.
Aafia Siddiqui was one of those, a victim sold by a Pakistani gang to a group of American torturers and rapists. To cover the crime, an American court has jailed her for 87 [86] years.
That process, everyone involved, judges and prosecutors too, should face an international trubunal.
Tribunals must enter every nation, investigate every crime, even if the cost is billions and we fill prisons around the world. Failing to do this, none of us will ever be safe, not being ruled by war criminals, not having our military commanded by psychotics, our intelligence services run by the delusional, the fabricators and fictionalizers.
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Report: Aafia Siddiqui Just the Facts
International Justice Network (IJN) released its initial report on an investigation into Dr.Aafia's case. March 2003 kidnap confirmed. Many more shocking details about the return of Mariam, Dr. Aafia's daughter and routine fabrication of evidence.
IJN's preliminary investigation has revealed shocking new evidence that contradicts the repeated claims of the U.S. and Pakistani government that Dr. Siddiqui was not detained in their custody prior to July 2008. IJN has obtained witness testimony and a secret audio recording of statements made by the Superintendant of Police of Sindh Province about his own personal involvement with the apprehension of Dr. Siddiqui and her three children from Karachi, Pakistan in March 2003.
To View the Report, see freeaafia.org
Pakistan PM Meets with Dr. Aafia's Family
ReplyDelete23rd September Remembered Across Pakistan
Sep 25, 2011
September 23rd, 2011 marked the one-year anniversary of Judge Richard Berman's condemnation of Aafia to 86 years in in a US prison under harsh conditions.
The date was marked with several rallies and protests across Pakistan. The Prime Minister of Pakistan accompanied by his Interior Minister came to Karachi and visited with Aafia's mother and sister. Messages of support came in from supporters and many officials from several Islamic countries.
Yet, despite this support, the Pakistani government found it necessary to issue a press advisory discouraging reporting of the events and many of the pictures shown here were censored for several days.
Future Visitation for Aafia Placed in Limbo
Sep 30, 2011
Visiting Aafia... continued...
On Sept 10, 2011 the US government finally allowed Aafia to have a family visit after almost 2-1/2 years.
It had been hoped that after finally relenting to following their own rules, the BOP would allow routine future visits on at least the 8 hours per month basis.
This hope was dashed last week when, after hinting that a visit in October will be allowed, we are now told that will not likely occur (Clear answers are not easy to obtain).
Generally, the BOP (Bureau of Prisons) rules for prisoners in the most severe detention allow for 8 hours of visitation per month. Almost all prisoners convicted of what Aafia was charged with are allowed unlimited week-end visitation in communal settings.
But then, as the BOP itself has said: Normal rules do not apply to Aafia.
More at free aafia dot org