US rejects clemency appeal for Dr Aafia Siddiqui, Pakistani court told

Former U.S. President Joe Biden has rejected a clemency appeal for Dr Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani neuroscientist serving an 86-year sentence in the United States, Pakistan’s Islamabad High Court (IHC) was informed on Friday.

During a hearing presided over by Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan, details were shared about Siddiqui’s request for release and repatriation. Appearing via video link, Dr Fouzia Siddiqui, her U.S.-based attorney Clive Stafford Smith, petitioner’s lawyer Imran Shafiq, and Pakistan’s Additional Attorney General discussed the latest developments.

The court learned that the U.S. not only rejected Dr Siddiqui’s clemency appeal but also declined to engage in a prisoner exchange agreement with Pakistan. Justice Khan expressed disappointment at the decision, stating, “The U.S. is showing us our place. The former American president pardoned his own son's sentence but did not release our prisoner.”

Siddiqui’s conviction

Siddiqui, who denies any wrongdoing, was convicted in 2010 by a New York federal jury on charges including attempted murder and armed assault.

U.S. prosecutors alleged she grabbed an M-4 rifle in an interrogation room in Afghanistan and fired at FBI agents and soldiers, shouting “death to America.” No personnel were injured, but Siddiqui was shot and wounded in response.

Her family claims Siddiqui was abducted in 2003 while visiting Pakistan with her three children and handed over to the CIA, who transferred her to Afghanistan.

At the time of her 2008 arrest in Afghanistan, police reportedly found sodium cyanide and notes referencing mass casualty attacks and New York landmarks in her possession. Siddiqui disputes these allegations, and she was never formally charged with terrorism-related offenses.

‘One of the worst I have seen’

Attorney Clive Stafford Smith told Sky News that Dr Siddiqui’s case stemmed from a misunderstanding by U.S. intelligence. He said officials mistakenly believed Siddiqui, who has a Ph.D. in education, was a nuclear physicist involved in developing a radioactive bomb. “This happened because the U.S. was deeply fearful of terrorists obtaining weapons of mass destruction (WMD),” Stafford Smith said. “She’s no more of a terrorist than I am.”

Stafford Smith, who has secured the release of 69 detainees from Guantanamo Bay, described Siddiqui’s case as “one of the worst I have seen.” He previously submitted a 76,500-word dossier to President Biden, urging clemency before Biden left office.

The court also reviewed a report detailing international efforts by Pakistan’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister to secure Siddiqui’s release.

Justice Khan criticized Pakistan’s U.S. ambassador for missing key meetings on the matter, while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs provided written explanations in response to court queries.

The case has been adjourned for two weeks to allow further diplomatic efforts and updates.

Last year, then-Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wrote to Biden requesting Siddiqui’s release as a humanitarian gesture. However, the U.S.’s firm stance on the matter continues to strain relations between the two nations.