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Friday, July 05, 2024  
28 Dhul-Hijjah 1445  

‘Take me out of this hell’ Dr Aafia appeals for release after decades in prison

She describes torturous conditions in prison during the meeting with her sister
Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani neuroscientist imprisoned in the United States for over a decade. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani neuroscientist imprisoned in the United States for over a decade. PHOTO: AFP/FILE

“Get me out of this hell, get me out of this hell,” Dr. Aafia Siddiqui expressed her desperation during the hours long meeting with her sister Dr Fauzia Siddiqui.

Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani neuroscientist imprisoned in the United States for over a decade, finally met her younger sister, Dr. Fauzia Siddiqui, after 20 years at the Federal Medical Center, Carswell in Texas.

Dr Fauzia was accompanied by human rights lawyer Clive Stafford Smith, who had previously met with Dr. Siddiqui in prison.

JI Senator Mushtaq Ahmed was also present during the meeting.

In a tweet, Senator Ahmed shared details of the meeting, stating that Dr. Siddiqui was dressed in an off-white scarf, a beige-colored dress, and white joggers. The conversation took place in a small room partitioned by a glass wall, and it was fully recorded.

Dr. Siddiqui’s health was weak, her eyes were teary, and she expressed fear of torture. Additionally, her head injury had caused four upper front teeth to break, resulting in difficulty with hearing.

“She repeatedly pleaded, ‘Take me out of this hell, take me out of this hell.’”

To divert her attention and keep her engaged, books on literature, poetry, and philosophy were brought to her. She displayed an extraordinary ability to discuss the works of Ghalib, Iqbal, and Hafeez Jalandhri, and engage in philosophical and academic conversations.

However, when she remember her children, mother, or the torture and bleak future of the prison, she became sad and reiterated her plea to be freed from the hellish conditions.

At the end of the meeting, Dr. Aafia Siddiqui was taken away in chains.

The senator stated What message does this innocent daughter, Aafia, have for the people, politicians, and rulers? What message does she have for Ali, Asia, and Humira? What kind of treatment and torture does she endure in jail?

Senator Ahmed stated that he will share all the details with the nation, but asks for patience, as the past few days have been the most difficult of Dr. Siddiqui’s life.

He appealed to the authorities to, at the very least, transfer her from the unit with the harshest torture to a unit with less severe conditions.

He also called upon the people to intensify their efforts for Dr. Aafia Siddiqui’s release. “The key to Dr. Aafia’s release lies not in Washington but in Islamabad.”

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Dr Aafia Siddiqui

Dr Fauzia Siddiqui