Aafia’s family says it has nothing to do with funds campaign
Sister says she was out of town when banners seeking donations were put up.
KARACHI:
Until a few weeks ago, banners asking for Rs1.5 million in donations for the legal defence of Aafia Siddiqui adorned several neighbourhoods in Karachi.
Aafia is serving an 86-year sentence in the US on charges of attempting to kill US officials in Afghanistan. She is also widely believed to have been supporting al Qaeda.
Those banners, according to Aafia’s sister Dr Fauzia Siddiqui, have been removed at her behest as Fauzia does not believe this is the “right way” to ask for money and the banners were put up while she was not in Pakistan.
“It is not appropriate to ask for alms and donations for daughters. It is a daughter’s right.”
Fauzia Siddiqui was cagey in her responses over how the fundraising and legal appeal would work.
“Once we know how much the lawyer(s) fee will be, we will arrange that people directly contribute to the lawyers’ fund. I do not want to be involved in the middle. I also don’t want people to allege that I collected money in my sister’s name,” she said.
Since Aafia’s current legal defence team is court-appointed, there appears to be no need of funds for her case.
While she already has court-appointed lawyers, Fauzia says Aafia and their family have no confidence in the legal team.
Fauzia Siddiqui wants to engage Tina Foster of the International Justice Network, who represents their family, as Aafia’s lawyer. “We already saw what kind of case they (court-appointed lawyers) fought, without any witnesses or forensic evidence,” she told The Express Tribune. “They are corporate lawyers, they’re not criminal lawyers. We need proper appellate lawyers to fight the case.”
Aafia’s court-appointed lawyer Dawn Cardi’s website states that she has over 30 years of experience with the criminal defence system. Her firm specialises in matrimonial and family law, criminal defence and select federal and New York State litigation. She could not be immediately reached for comment.
However, Fauzia said Foster is not a criminal lawyer either.
While Fauzia said she would be meeting with and finalising the legal team in the first week of October, she declined to say if she would be meeting them in the US.
After being sentenced, Aafia fired her lawyers and waived her right to an appeal. In a letter to the presiding judge in her case, she stated: “I waive all my rights to file an appeal against the unjust sentence given to me on September 23, 2010. Nobody has the right to appeal it on my behalf in any court of law in the world. I have made my appeal to God and it has been answered.”
Fauzia also said the family is also getting visitation rights to Aafia, though she claims that in the past, their brother has been turned away from the jail by officials who allegedly told him that “normal rules do not apply to your sister”. Aafia is currently incarcerated at the Carswell prison in Texas.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 27th, 2011.
Until a few weeks ago, banners asking for Rs1.5 million in donations for the legal defence of Aafia Siddiqui adorned several neighbourhoods in Karachi.
Aafia is serving an 86-year sentence in the US on charges of attempting to kill US officials in Afghanistan. She is also widely believed to have been supporting al Qaeda.
Those banners, according to Aafia’s sister Dr Fauzia Siddiqui, have been removed at her behest as Fauzia does not believe this is the “right way” to ask for money and the banners were put up while she was not in Pakistan.
“It is not appropriate to ask for alms and donations for daughters. It is a daughter’s right.”
Fauzia Siddiqui was cagey in her responses over how the fundraising and legal appeal would work.
“Once we know how much the lawyer(s) fee will be, we will arrange that people directly contribute to the lawyers’ fund. I do not want to be involved in the middle. I also don’t want people to allege that I collected money in my sister’s name,” she said.
Since Aafia’s current legal defence team is court-appointed, there appears to be no need of funds for her case.
While she already has court-appointed lawyers, Fauzia says Aafia and their family have no confidence in the legal team.
Fauzia Siddiqui wants to engage Tina Foster of the International Justice Network, who represents their family, as Aafia’s lawyer. “We already saw what kind of case they (court-appointed lawyers) fought, without any witnesses or forensic evidence,” she told The Express Tribune. “They are corporate lawyers, they’re not criminal lawyers. We need proper appellate lawyers to fight the case.”
Aafia’s court-appointed lawyer Dawn Cardi’s website states that she has over 30 years of experience with the criminal defence system. Her firm specialises in matrimonial and family law, criminal defence and select federal and New York State litigation. She could not be immediately reached for comment.
However, Fauzia said Foster is not a criminal lawyer either.
While Fauzia said she would be meeting with and finalising the legal team in the first week of October, she declined to say if she would be meeting them in the US.
After being sentenced, Aafia fired her lawyers and waived her right to an appeal. In a letter to the presiding judge in her case, she stated: “I waive all my rights to file an appeal against the unjust sentence given to me on September 23, 2010. Nobody has the right to appeal it on my behalf in any court of law in the world. I have made my appeal to God and it has been answered.”
Fauzia also said the family is also getting visitation rights to Aafia, though she claims that in the past, their brother has been turned away from the jail by officials who allegedly told him that “normal rules do not apply to your sister”. Aafia is currently incarcerated at the Carswell prison in Texas.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 27th, 2011.