US prison authorities bar meeting between Dr. Aafia Siddiqui and family. The family members of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, the Pakistani neuroscientist serving an 86-year sentence in a U.S. federal prison on terrorism charges, were recently denied the opportunity to meet with her.
The thwarted reunion took place at the Carswell federal prison in Fort Worth, Texas, where the Siddiqui family, including Dr. Aafia’s sister, Dr. Fowzia Siddiqui, JUI leader Talha Mahmood, and lawyer Clive Stafford Smith, were turned away by prison authorities.
The meeting, intended to be the second in two decades between the Siddiqui sisters, was obstructed by a seemingly implausible reason provided by prison officials – the loss of keys to the designated meeting room.
Despite the presence of prominent individuals accompanying Dr. Fowzia Siddiqui, the family members were shown the door, leaving them unable to connect with the incarcerated scientist.
Also read: Dr Aafia Siddiqui dead or alive?
British American lawyer Clive Stafford Smith expressed his disappointment by sharing a picture of Dr. Fowzia outside the prison, highlighting the Siddiqui sisters’ missed opportunity for a rare meeting.
The incident has drawn attention to the treatment of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, who has been held in the U.S. for nearly two decades, amid ongoing concerns about the circumstances of her arrest and conviction.
Senator Mushtaq Ahmad, condemning the prison authorities’ excuse as ‘comical,’ expressed his dismay at what he called an ‘inhumane’ attitude on the part of jail officials.
Dr. Aafia Siddiqui’s case has been shrouded in controversy since her arrest, with various reports speculating about her activities and connections.
The neuroscientist was accused of having links with Al Qaeda and, in 2010, was convicted of attempting to shoot U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan.
As US prison authorities bar meeting between Dr. Aafia Siddiqui and family, despite consistently denying all charges against her, she has languished in prison, prompting ongoing calls for a reexamination of her case.
UTTER INCOMPETENCE! I took @FowziaSiddiqui to #FMCCarswell today for 2nd visit in 20 years w/#Aafia & far from #LetSistersHug the sisters were not allowed to meet because THE PRISON COULDN’T FIND A KEY TO OPEN THE VISITATION CELL DOOR! @Aafiamovement @senatortalha pic.twitter.com/2tgOiguoXQ
— Clive Stafford Smith (@CliveSSmith) December 2, 2023
