Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani neuroscientist, has filed a 61-page lawsuit against the US government, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and several prison officials.
The lawsuit accuses prison staff of severe human rights violations, including sexual abuse, torture, denial of medical care, and religious discrimination.
According to the lawsuit, Siddiqui has endured repeated sexual assaults and physical abuse by prison staff and fellow inmates since her incarceration at FMC Carswell in 2010.
The complaint claims that these acts were not isolated incidents but part of a systemic culture of abuse within the facility.
Siddiqui alleges that male guards, including officers named in the complaint, subjected her to rape and sexual harassment, often under the guise of routine checks.
The lawsuit also claims that Siddiqui’s religious rights have been consistently violated, including being denied access to an Imam for spiritual guidance and being unable to participate in Friday prayers for over a decade.
Siddiqui’s legal team is demanding a jury trial, seeking declaratory and injunctive relief, and requesting a third-party investigation into the abuses. They also seek immediate action to protect Siddiqui and improved access to religious counsel and independent medical care.
This case has garnered significant international attention, with the Pakistani government repeatedly calling for Siddiqui’s repatriation. Her family and supporters view the lawsuit as a critical step in holding US authorities accountable for her alleged mistreatment.
Background of the cae
Dr. Aafia Siddiqui’s arrest is one of the most controversial and mysterious cases, that began in March 2003, following the arrest of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (KSM), Al Qaeda’s third-in-command and the alleged mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks, in Karachi.
Mohammed was transferred to US custody and sent to Guantanamo Bay, where he was tortured by being subjected to waterboarding and “rectal rehydration” as part of CIA interrogation tactics, according to a Senate report.
At the time, Siddiqui, who was reportedly married to a nephew of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, disappeared along with her three minor children in Karachi.
US media described her as the first woman suspected of links to Osama bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda network, earning her the notorious moniker “Lady Al Qaeda.”
In 2008, Siddiqui ‘resurfaced’ in Afghanistan, where she was arrested in Ghazni province during a time of intense conflict in Afghanistan.
In 2010, she was convicted in the Manhattan, US and sentenced to 86 years in prison for attempted murder.
