Pakistani neuroscientist Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, currently imprisoned in the United States, has expressed hope for a presidential pardon from President Joe Biden before he concludes his term. Her legal team conveyed her message, highlighting her plea for justice and freedom from what she described as years of “torture.”
“I am a victim of injustice. Every day is painful. It is not easy,” Dr. Siddiqui said, adding, “Inshallah, one day I will be free from this torture.”
Dr. Siddiqui’s lawyer, Clive Stafford Smith, is leading the clemency appeal and recently submitted a comprehensive 76,500-word dossier to the White House. He urged President Biden to include her case in the list of pardons and commutations issued during his tenure, which ends on Monday when Donald Trump is set to assume the presidency. President Biden has so far granted 39 pardons and commuted the sentences of 3,989 individuals.
Allegations of Mistaken Identity and Detention
According to Smith, Dr. Siddiqui’s ordeal began in 2003 when she and her three children were allegedly detained in Pakistan by local intelligence agencies and handed over to the CIA. She was reportedly taken to Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, where she was subjected to what Smith described as “extraordinary interrogations” and became part of the CIA’s controversial torture program.
Smith claimed that Dr. Siddiqui was wrongfully implicated due to errors in intelligence. He stated that U.S. officials mistakenly identified her as a nuclear physicist involved in creating radioactive bombs, although she holds a PhD in education.
The U.S. Department of Justice has declined to comment on these allegations, and the CIA has yet to respond to the claims outlined in the legal dossier.
Legal and Humanitarian Efforts
Dr. Siddiqui’s trial in 2010 resulted in a conviction, despite the court ruling that there was insufficient evidence to confirm her alleged detention prior to 2008. Her case has drawn international attention, with calls for justice from her family, supporters, and human rights activists.
Clive Stafford Smith, who has previously secured the release of 69 Guantanamo Bay detainees, described Dr. Siddiqui’s case as the “worst” he has encountered in his career.
Her family and legal team remain hopeful that President Biden will act swiftly to grant her clemency, providing her with the long-awaited justice and freedom she seeks.
