Who is Aafia Siddiqui, Pakistani scientist whose release was demanded by US hostage-taker?

A man who held hostages inside a Texas synagogue on Saturday has demanded the release of a Pakistani scientist who is imprisoned in the US on charges of an attempt to kill American service members in Afghanistan. The woman, Aafia Siddiqui, is serving an 86-year prison sentence after being convicted in Manhattan in 2010 for allegedly attempting to shoot US military officers while being detained in Afghanistan two years earlier.

Aafia Siddiqui, also known as "Lady al-Qaida" is a Pakistani neuroscientist who studied in the United States at prestigious institutions. She attracted the attention of American law enforcement in the years after the 9/11 attacks.

Top FBI and Justice Department described her as an “al-Qaida operative and facilitator” at a May 2004 news conference in which they warned of that al-Qaida had planned an attack in the coming months.

In 2008, Siddiqui was detained by authorities in Afghanistan. American officials said they found in her possession handwritten notes that discussed the construction of “dirty bombs” and listed various locations in the US that could be targeted in a “mass casualty attack.”

During interrogation with the Afghan police, authorities say, she grabbed the M-4 rifle of one of a US Army officer and opened fire on members of the US team assigned to interrogate her. She was convicted in 2010 on charges including attempting to kill US nationals outside America.

At her sentencing hearing, Siddiqui reportedly gave rambling statements about world peace and also "forgave" the judge. She expressed frustration at the arguments from her own lawyers who said she deserved leniency because she was mentally ill.

"I’m not paranoid,” she said at one point. “I don’t agree with that.”

How did Pakistan react?

Pakistani officials immediately decried the punishment to Aafia Siddiqui, which triggered protests in multiple cities and criticism in the media. The then Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani called her the “daughter of the nation” and vowed to campaign for her release from jail. Over the years, many Pakistani leaders have openly floated the idea of making deals or swaps that could aid her release.

She has also garnered support from accused militants in the US. An Ohio man who plotted to kill US military members after receiving training in Syria also planned to fly to Texas and attack the federal prison where Siddiqui is being held, in order to free her. The man, Abdirahman Sheik Mohamud, was sentenced in 2018 to 22 years in prison.

Where is Aafia Siddiqui now?

Siddiqui is being held at a federal prison in Fort Worth, Texas. She was attacked in July by another inmate at the facility and suffered serious injuries, according to court documents. The attack had prompted protests by human rights activists and religious groups, calling for improved prison conditions. The activists have also called on the Pakistani government to fight for her release from US custody.

(With inputs from AP)

Image: AP