ISLAMABAD: Former US Congress member Cynthia McKinney on Wednesday supported repatriation of Dr Afia Siddiqui to Pakistan.
"I am here for Dr Afia Siddiqui. When I first learned of her situation, I decided to do all that I could do to reverse the injustice to this poor innocent woman," McKinney said while addressing a press conference here.
Mckinney, who is on a week long visit to Pakistan as part of her "Give US our daughter back" campaign for repatriation of Dr Afia to Pakistan. She revealed that internationally, many people had signed a petition calling for her release.
International Action Centre principal leader Sara Flounders said that having attended the trial of Dr Afia, her case was an international human rights issue. "The purpose of our visit is to seek justice and family repatriation of Dr Afia."
Flounders said no one can deny the pressure of people's power and the mass rallies and slogan for freedom of Dr Afia She added that they advocate the view that like prisoners exchange policy with other countries, Dr Afia should also be repatriated in a similar exchange.
The IAC official claimed since Dr Afia's sentence was a political sentence and her rendition illegal, the solution to this too was political and diplomatic.
Dr Afia’s sister Dr Fauzia Siddiqui said that there can be no better way to win the hearts of people than to secure the release of Dr Afia.
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@numbersnumbers: "Wow, Illegally detained", not. Dear Numbers, I would consider that anybody who been detained and tortured for several years, without being charged, has been illegally detained. But then we are getting used to the US having questionably legal methodologies, which is why most countries do not respect America any more.
@Jag Nathan: Dear Jag, You are suggesting that if someone is not an elected representative they should not be listened to. With that type of thinking we should not listen to Hilary Clinton, Victoria Newland, Susan Rice, or anybody in the White House, because they have not been elected. Incidentally, Dr. Siddiqui was not convicted or tried for terrorism or murder. Before you submit total nonsense you should do your homework. Even Numbers and Cautious do not get it so wrong.
We Pakistanis do have an extremely emotional connection to the Afia Siddiqui case but beyond Pakistan it is just a lost cause. I have never seen a single person who actually supports her or believes that she wasn't a terrorist. I have no idea which thousands of supporters this Congresswoman is talking about. Not even muslims from countries outside Pakistan support Afia.
Maybe the Pakistani government should clear up the discrepancies in her case and then present it to the world for support.
Did anyone notice she is ex Congresswoman. Simply means she represents no one but herself. Is it any wonder she lost the election. Siddiqui was convicted of terrorism and murder in a fair trial. She should have known when you play with fire you might get burned. There is no chance of this daughter coming home any time soon.
It does appear to be quite apparent that Dr. Siddiqui has suffered illegal arrest, rendition, torture, shot in the stomach by her torturers, transferred to America and tried in a New York kangaroo court on the fable that she attacked her torturers. Additionally, I am led to believe that most of the trial was conducted by Jewish personnel. For example, the judges name was Richard Berman, and her lawyers had a Jewish background. I am quite certain that a Jewish person would not wish to be tried in a court dominated by Muslim personnel. It is also my understanding that Judge Berman disallowed much information that was presented for Dr. Siddiqui's defense, and he did not bother with major items such as forensic evidence. In spite of the fact that Dr. Siddiqui was taken into custody on the grounds of terrorism, and tortured for a long period she was not charged with terrorism, and the trial was held purely on the grounds that she attempted to attack US personnel. It was obviously a slick set-up trial (US style) designed to find Dr. Siddiqui guilty, but then, when has justice counted in America over the last twenty years or so. They name somebody as a terrorist and subsequently anything goes. Just get a guilty verdict. Who in their wildest dreams would believe Dr. Siddiqui would be sentenced to 86 years in prison?
Cynthia McKinney does not represent US Citizens. She can say anything as a private citizen. It will be nice to know who funded her trip to Pakistan.
@Anti-Cautious: Wow, "illegally detained"! So by your standards all people convicted of crimes and imprisoned in Pakistan are all "illegally detained"!!! Your should really call IK about this situation in Pakistan!
I think our government should openly say about her nationality. If she is holding Pakistani nationality then the government should work hard for her release. There are also reports that Dr. Afia is no longer mentally stable.
McKinney must be really desperate for attention if she has to fly all the way to Pakistan to make one her anti American speeches. She lost her election after she made a 911 conspiracy speech and her last claim to fame was slapping a Congressional guard because he had the audacity to ask her for her identification card (how dare he not recognize the famous McKinney even though there are 535 Congressmen).