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Dr. Aafia Siddiqui Case: Chronology

Chronology of the controversial case of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui is being offered here in good faith. Any oversight or shortcoming is regretted and will be corrected if pointed out.

For detailed discussion and analysis, and for posting your comments on the issue, visit the related blog About Aafia.

If you find any ommission or factual error, or have suggestions for improvement and correction, kindly write to KhurramsOffice@yahoo.com

Dr. Aafia Siddiqui Case: Chronology

2003-07
2003
March 18      FBI issues an alert requesting information about Aafia [Later reported on Counter Punch]
March 27       

‘Pakistani couple sought in Qaeda hunt’ news story by Khalid Hasan in Daily Times
March 29        United Press International reports that the FBI purportedly believes Aafia may be a "fixer" for al-Qaeda, moving money to support terrorist operations.
March 30       Aafia leaves her home with her three children on a Metro-Cab to catch a flight to Rawalpindi. She disappears (allegedly kidnapped by Pakistani agencies for transfer to the American agencies)
April 3       CNN reports that senior al Qaeda operative Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, arrested on March 1, has mentioned Dr. Aafia Siddiqui during interrogation. NBC News reports that “U.S. intelligence officials are reportedly interrogating a Pakistani woman alleged to have moved funds and assisted with logistics planning for al-Qaida.”       
* Pakistani authorities deny knowledge of Dr. Siddiqui’s whereabouts
April 4     FBI denies reports that it has captured Aafia in Pakistan. Read story at Tech: MIT’s Newspaper
April 15   Washington, D.C. Interior Secretary Tasneem Noorani informs the US that Pakistani citizens will not be extradited but those who obtained American citizenship, such as Aafia, may be handed over to the US after the approval of a Pakistani court. Read story in Dawn
May 26        United States Attorney General John Ashcroft and FBI Director Robert Mueller announce that reports indicate that al-Qaeda has planned to attempt an attack on the United States that summer or fall. Aafia is named as "an al-Qaeda operative and facilitator", and as one of seven al-Qaeda associates being sought in connection with the possible terrorist threats in the United States.
June 23

Newsweek mentions Aafia as “reportedly arrested” in ‘Al Qaeda in America: the Enemy Within’
Dec 30 Dr. Fawzia Siddiqui, Aafia’s elder sister, sees Interior Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat at Islamabad with MNA Ejazul Haq regarding whereabouts of Aafia. Hayat tells her that Aafia has “already been released” (Reported in Aafia’s uncle’s letter to Dawn  but refuted in Press Conference of Aafia’s family lawyer Sharp)
 2004
March 30   

Karachi. Aafia’s uncle S. H. Faruqi’s letter appears in Dawn, outlining the chronology of the case. Read letter
May 2

Karachi. Aafia’s uncle S. H. Faruqi’s letter appears in Dawn, complaining that Aafia’s mother and sister have apparently been put under house arrest and not being allowed to make telephone contacts since publication of previous letter on March 30. Read letter
May 28

Islamabad. Pakistan’s Interior Ministry confirms that Aafia was handed over to US authorities last year after being questioned by Pakistani intelligence agencies who could not establish her links with Al Qaeda. Read story in Dawn
Jun 1

Boston. Aafia’s family lawyer Sharp tells a press conference that Aafia was not an Al Qaeda operative and might be dead or detained in Pakistan or the US. Read story in Dawn
Apr 12 Newsweek links Aafia’s name with a suspected Al Qaeda money transfer: “One of the Saudis wrote a $20,000 check…to a third Saudi who had listed the same address as Aafia…” Read ‘Exclusive: New Questions About Saudi Money…’
2005
October 3

Internal Revenue Service, US, lists the Institute of Islamic Research and Teaching among the charities that have not been able to establish or maintain their charitable status
April 7 'Terror Watch: Tangled Ties’ by Michael Isikoff and Mark Hosenball, story in Newsweek
2006
* In a report, Amnesty International lists Aafia among a number of “disappeared” suspects in the war on terror. [Reported in Dawn]
2007
February 28

In its report Ghost Prisoner, the Human Rights Watch says that Dr. Siddiqui "may have once been held" in secret detention by the CIA
July 6 Amnesty International lists Aafia as possible CIA “secret detainee” [Reported in Dawn]
2008
2008: February
* Karachi. [According to a later report of Asian Human Rights Commission], Aafia is brought to Karachi and severely tortured in order to secure her compliance for becoming a government witness against Khalid Shiekh Mohammad, the alleged mastermind of 09/11 and a detainee of Guantanamo Bay Prison
2008: July
Mon 7 Islamabad. In press conference held by Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf, British journalist Yvonne Ridley states that an anonymous woman being tortured in Bagram (Afghanistan) and sometimes known as “Prisoner 650” may be Aafia
Fri 11 

Lt-Col Rumi Nielson-Green, Director of Public Affairs, Regional Command East and Combined Joint Task Force in Afghanistan denies that there is any woman prisoner at the Bagram base. Read report in Dawn
Fri 18

According to a video later released on the Internet, a press conference is held in Afghanistan to announce the capture of a woman Saliha, originally from Multan, and a 12 year old boy, Ali Ihsaan, accused of attempted suicide bombing.
Thu 24

Asian Human Rights Commission issues “urgent appeal” to American and Afghan Presidents, PM of Pakistan and other officials asking them to disclose whereabouts of Aafia, suspected of having been in US custody at Bagram under gruesome conditions for several years.
Mon 28

A higher court in Islamabad hears petition against detention of. Aafia “either at Guantanamo Bay or Bagram (Afghanistan)”. Reported in Monsters & Critics (South Asia)
Thu 31 The FBI informs Aafia’s brother that Aafia is in US custody (Reported in Dawn on August 6)
2008: August
Sun 03

Aafia’s family lawyer Elaine Whitfield Sharp tells Dawn that the FBI has conceded that Aafia is in their custody but has refused to say anything more. Read story in Dawn.
Mon 04

Elaine Whitfield Sharp, lawyer representing Aafia’s family tells Dawn that the MIT-trained Pakistani neuroscientist was being detained for political reasons. Sharp denies that Aafia is married to Abd al-Aziz Ali, an Al Qaeda suspect held in Guantanamo  Bay. Read story in Dawn
Mon 04 The US Department of Justice issues press release saying that Aafia was arrested by Afghanistan National Police in Ghazni on July 17 and was wounded while trying to shoot US Army personnel the next day. Read DOJ Press Release
Tue 05 Sam Zarifi, Asia-Pacific director for Amnesty International, challenges the American government’s version of the Aafia Case (Reported in New York Times, cited in Dawn)
Wed 06 New York. Judge Ronald Ellis of federal US court orders Aafia to be held without bail on charges brought up by the prosecution. Aafia’s court-appointed pro-bono lawyer Elizabeth M. Fink calls these charges “absurd”. August 11 is set for bail hearing and August 19 to determine whether Aafia should be tried  Read story in Dawn, Saudi Gazzette
Wed 06 Aafia tells her family lawyer Elaine W. Sharp in a 3-hour interview that she was in US custody for years. “The abuse was horrendous, it was physical, as well as psychological,” according to Sharp. (Source: Guardian, August 8, reproduced on AafiaSiddiqui.org )
Fri 08 AHRC issues Urgent Appeal for investigation into the Aafia Case
Fri 08 Barrister Syed Iqbal Jafree files petition accusing President Pervez Musharraf’s son, Bilal Musharraf, of taking a huge bounty money from FBI for handing over Aafia [Reported in Islamic Networking]
Fri 08 Judicial Activism Panel demands the Pakistani Government to form an inquiry on the disappearance of Aafia from Pakistan, take the case of Aafia to the International Court of Justice and to allow a panel of Pakistani lawyers to go to the US to plead the case of Aafia in the American court. Read story in Dawn.
Sat 09

Saqib Rauf, Pakistan’s acting consul general in the US, tells correspondents of Pakistani press that he and Faqir Saeed, a counselor at the embassy in Washington, have met Aafia Siddiqui in New York who said that she was innocent of the charges made against her by the US authorities and added, “I am confident if there is any justice I will be acquitted” but on the advice of her defense attorney she would not give about the whereabouts of her children nor describe her travails while in US custody in Afghanistan. Mr. Rauf added that he was “amazed to see how articulate and clearheaded she was under the circumstances.” Read story in Dawn.
Mon 11 New York. Aafia’s lawyers do not seek bail. Instead they ask for medical facilities for their client, on which the US judge orders Aafia to be examined by a doctor within 24 hours. Lawyer Elizabeth Fink hedges the question, saying, “there was more to it than meets the eye." Other officials report, "no amount of bail money would satisfy the US authorities who are convinced of Aafia’s Siddiqui’s guilt..." Read story in Dawn.
Mon 11 The News reports that Aafia’s attorney in the US has written to the Pakistani ambassador to “demand, in the strongest terms, that the United States government Bureau of Prisons and Metropolitan Detention Centre employees cease and desist the practice of strip searching Dr Siddiqui which, in her case, is totally unnecessary…” (Source: Cageprisoner.com)
Tue 12 New York. Aafia's lawyer Elaine Sharp says Aafia has stitches down the front of her torso from major surgery, and has been checked by physician on complains of stomach pain. Read story from Reuters
Tue 12 Islamabad. High Court orders Barrister Syed Iqbal Jafree to remove the objections raised against his habeas corpus petition for Aafia of July 28, and file it again so that it could be heard on September 9 [Reported in Daily Times] The court also orders the Interior Ministry to nominate a senior official who could brief the court [Reported in Daily Times]
Tue 12

Washington, D.C. The Pakistani embassy formally asks the US government to repatriate Dr Aafia Siddiqui to Pakistan where she will be dealt with in accordance with the law [Reported in Daily Times]
Tue 12 Human Rights Commission Pakistan (HRCP) demands that the government should ensure that Dr Aafia Siddiqi gets justice and immediate medical treatment. Read story in Daily Times
Tue 12-Wed13 A video about Aafia appears as “featured news” on the homepage of Yahoo!, describing Aafia as “the FBI’s most wanted woman”
Wed 13 US military in Afghanistan denies that Pakistani scientist Aafia Siddiqui was in US military detention during the five years she was missing, and states that undisclosed female prisoner "who was in our custody in 2003-2005" was someone else. Read statement at Cage Prisoners
Wed 13 Lahore. Members of provincial parliament criticize US for inhuman treatment of Aafia while Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan tells the house that federal government was making concerted efforts for extradition of Aafia and her three children from the US. Read story in The News International
Sat 16 A letter from Anne W. Patterson, the US Ambassador in Pakistan, appears in the Pakistani newspaper Dawn by the title, ‘Aafia Siddiqui: US envoy’s version,’ reiterating the official US position, dismissing in absolute terms the allegations raised against the US Government in this case, and suggesting that journalists questioning the official US position may be giving in to “sentimentalism.”
Mon 18 Aafia’s bail hearing postponed to Sep 3 [Reported in MuslimMatters.org]
Thu 21

Pakistani Parliament demands immediate repatriation of Dr Aafia Siddiqui. A resolution moved by Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and adopted unanimously by the lower house also demands immediate information on the whereabouts of Aafia’s three children.
Fri 22 Letter released by the US Department of Justice states that preliminary nuclear DNA analysis of Ahmad, 12-year old boy held by Afghan authorities, “indicates that [REDACTED] DNA is consistent with that of a potential offspring of Aafia Siddiqui” while “additional testing is being conducted and should be completed by next week.” Read story in Tech: MIT’s Newspaper
Sat 23 London. Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Chief, Altaf Hussain,  Saturday demands of the US to repatriate Aafia, saying that Aafia is a Pakistan national therefore Govt. of Pakistan should investigate into the allegations against Dr. Siddiqui. Read story in A Pakistan News
Tue 26 Washington Post reports US authorities have admitted that Aafia’s 11 year old son was detained by Afghan authorities. Aafia’s American lawyer Elizabeth Fink says Aafia will file petition for custody
2008: September
Tue 02

[According to a later report of Sep 11], Aafia is examined by a psychologist and diagnosed with psychosis
Tue 02 US Attorney issues press release on Aafia's indictment, mentioning a "thumb drive" found in her possession (it was not mentioned in the original press release from DOJ of August 4)
Thu 04

Aafia refuses to appear in court in order to avoid humiliating strip searches. [According to a later report of Sep 11], Judge Berman orders a physical examination of Aafia. Next date of hearing is September 22. Read story in Daily Times, Washington Post, The Tech Online: MIT's Newspaper, NECN, Reuters India
Fri 05 [According to a later report of Sep 11], Aafia refuses physical examination
Mon 08 [According to a later report of Sep 11], Judge Berman orders a psychiatrist re-examination of Aafia
Tue 09 Addressing a press conference in London, the British parliamentarian Lord Nazeer Ahmed, accompanied by the journalist Yvonne Ridley, releases the response of the letter he had addressed to the US Embassy in London seeking permission to visit Aafia in detention. Richard Le Baron, the US Charge d’Affaires had written back that such a visit could be arranged subject to the regulations of the prison and the consent of Aafia. Le Baron denied that Aafia was in the US custody before July 17, or that her prison number was 650. Lord Nazeer poses a question that posed a question that if Aafia was not “Prisoner 650” then who is the actual woman by that serial number and that all facts must be brought to light by the US and Afghan authorities. [Reported in Pakistan Times, September 10]
Tue 09

[According to a later report of Sep 11], Aafia is reexamined by the psychiatrist and again diagnosed with depressive type psychosis, this time chronic. [According to later report of Sep 24], also examined by a doctor and videotaped apparently as routine prison procedure.
Wed 10 In a 14-page detailed reply filed in Islamabad High Court (IHC) about Dr Aafia Siddiqui, additional secretary interior Zareef Abbas submits that the Government of Pakistan has demanded of US authorities to provide medical facilities to Dr Aafia Siddiqui while US has assured that medical treatment was being provided to Aafia and any complaint in this respect would be redressed. Abbas tenders apology for late submission of reply, saying that it was caused due to tense situation in the country (Reported in Online International News Network).
Wed 10

Barrister Jafri has filed another writ petition with the Islamabad High Court praying the court to direct the Government of Pakistan to ask the American government for the extradition of Dr Aafia to Pakistan according to the extradition treaty signed in 1959. Read story at The News International
Wed 10 US Homeland Security agents are reported to have gone on “yellow” (i.e. heightened) alert, monitoring more than 20,000 American citizens or permanent legal residents on the FBI’s watch list to prevent them from boarding commercial aircraft while they have also programmed a computer system that screens inbound passengers for signs of terrorist activity “to flag Turkish and other individuals whose passports show travel to Pakistan.” This is said to be partly in response to material displayed on jihadist websites but is also said to be linked with “leads produced by last month's arrest and interrogation of al-Qaida operative Aafia Siddiqui”. Read story at World Net Daily
Wed 10 Dr. Fauzia Siddiqui, Aafia’s sister, tells Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa that the family fears that Aafia may die before her next hearing on September 22 in Neaow York if urgent medical attention is not provided… Read story at Monsters and Critics
Wed 10 Joanne Mariner, an attorney with Human Rights Watch in New York, writes in Counter Punch that “the federal court that is hearing her case should facilitate an in-depth investigation of her lawyers' claims” because the possibility is “not only deeply relevant to her mental state at the time of the alleged crimes, it goes to the integrity of the court's jurisdiction.” Read ‘The Horrendous Case of Aafia Siddiqui’
Thu 11  Islamabad High Court (IHC) issues notice to foreign ministry and directs it to inform the court about the latest development of the Aafia Case within two weeks. Read story at Online International News Network
Thu 11 Private Investigator Warner’s blog entry: “Never Forget the Attacks Of 9/11 As Radical Muslims Are Planning the Next One”
Thu 11

The warden of Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center writes to Judge Richard M. Berman stating that Siddiqui was examined and first diagnosed with psychosis on Tuesday, September 2 by Bureau of Prisons psychologist Dr. Diane McLean. Siddiqui “reported depressed mood, anxiety, ruminative thoughts concerning her son’s welfare, poor sleep, and moderate appetite.” The letter also describes a hallucination: “She also reported seeing her daughter in her cell…” and reports that Aafia has been subject to routine mental health check-ups ten times in August and six times so far in September. Read story at The Tech Online (MIT’s newspaper)
Fri 12 Barrister Syed Iqbal Jafree files (another?) petition in Islamabad High Court praying the court that government of Pakistan and foreign ministry be made respondents in the Aafia Case. Read story at Online International News Network
Sat 13 US authorities inform that the 6-member Pakistan Senate delegation arriving in Washington this month will not be permitted to meet the Pakistani prisoners at Guantanamo in order to determine their state but the delegation may meet Aafia as long as the prison regulations are observed.
Tue 15 Aafia’s older son Muhammad Ahmad, age 11, is handed over by the Afghan Government to Aafia’s sister Dr. Fauzia Ahmad. He is received at Islamabad airport. Read story from Dawn
Wed 16 AHRC reminds that it still awaits details of where and for how long the boy had been detained, the release of his two other siblings and the provision of justice for Aafia herself. “The ethical vacuum being created by the ‘war on terror’ appears to have spread to the abduction and illegal detention of children,” says the statement. “The AHRC is concerned that the conflict has lost its moral compass absolutely, on all sides.” Read full AHRC statement
Thu 17 Islamabad. Defence of Human Rights (DHR) says in press conference Aafia’s family was grateful to the government for getting back Aafia’s son Ahmad and to Pakistani politicians, namely Imran Khan, Qazi Hussain Ahmad and Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan for persistently raising voice in the Aafia Case. Read story from The Nation
Sat 19

Islamabad. Aafia's sister Dr. Fouzia Siddiqui informs that Aafia's son Muhammad Ahmed is mentally unfit and even unable to remember his name and is having nightmares. Read story from The Nation
Mon 22 New York. U.S. Attorney Michael Garcia writes to Judge Richard M. Berman to say there is reason to believe Aafia is suffering from mental disease and unfit to stand trial. Aafia's lawyer says this might be an effect of five year's imprisonment and torture at Bagram prison. Read story from Reuters, Jurist, Pak Tribune, Daily Times
Tue 23 Barrister Syed Iqbal Jafree files another writ petition in Islamabad High Court (IHC) for extradition of Aafia. "Government has been delaying this case and officials were talking with US authorities only on telephone while no written request has been made till this time," he says while speaking to The News
Tue 23

New York. Judge Richard M. Berman enters not guilty plea on behalf of Aafia, as she again refused to come to the court, and set December 17 as the hearing date to determine Aafia's mental competence and March 9, 2009, as a tentative trial date. Judge Berman says he would order medical and physical evaluation next week to determine whether or not Aafia was competent to stand trial. Read story from Dawn, Associated Press, Jurist, Reuters, Muslim Matters
Wed 24 Islamabad. Delegation of Pakistani Senators from foreign affairs and human rights committees, namely Mushahid Hussain Syed, Talha Mehmood, Saadia Abbasi and Allama Abbas Kumaili, which had announced to meet Aafia and visit the detainees of Guantanamo Bay prison, fails to finalize date for departure to the US but says that it will be after Ramadan. Read story from The Nation
Thu 25

Islamabad. Islamabad High Court adjourns hearing of the petition by Barrister Syed Iqbal Jafree to October 6 about alleged extradition of Dr Aafia Siddiqui to US, stating that Interior Ministry had submitted a reply saying that Aafia was a US citizen and therefore facing a trial there instead of in Pakistan. Read complete story from Associated Press of Pakistan

Sat 27

 We Are Change Georgia, a citizens based media organization, claims to have obtained government documents showing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and CPS of San Diego, California, had information 6 years ago on 9/11 regarding Aafia Siddiqui and Kahns "terrorists". Read story from We Are Change Geogria
Mon 29 Lahore (Pakistan). Judicial Activism Panel (JAP) demands the government of Pakistan approach the US government to get Dr Aafia Siddiqui freed on parole for Eidul Fitr. Read story in The News International
Mon 29

WorldNet Daily reports that "first time since 9/11, counterterrorism field agents have been authorized to spy on young Muslim men and women – including American citizens – who have traveled to Pakistan without any specific evidence of wrongdoing" and that according to FBI officials, this is "partly in response to leads developed in the arrest of one of al-Qaida's 'fixers' in the U.S." The FBI is said to be "in a race against time to identify Pakistan-trained sleeper cells and disrupt a possible pre-election 'October surprise'." [Read story at WorldNet Daily]. Others suspect that "Republican strategists may be attempting to use Aafia Siddiqui to create conditions for an October surprise so that McCain will defeat Barak Obama..." Read entry in Ethnic Ashkenazim Against Zionist Israel
2008: October
Wed 01 New York. Judge Berman orders that Aafia must undergo a month-long medical assessment, treatment and psychological examination before a special competency hearing (scheduled for December 17) to determine if she is "medically fit and mentally competent" to stand trial. Read story at Reuters, The News International and ThaIndian News
Thu 02 Washington, D.C.. US State department apprises Pakistan embassy that Aafia has been moved to the Federal Medical Center (FMC) Carswell in Fort Worth, Texas for psychiatric evaluation and Pakistani senators won't be able to meet her in New York (Aafia's lawyer pleaded she shouldn't be sent to Texas because she needs medical treatment not available there). Read story in The News International, Associated Press of Pakistan and Dawn
Fri 03 Washington, D.C. Pakistan’s ambassador to US, Husain Haqqani demands that Aafia be handed over to Pakistan, since there are better facilities for psychiatric and medical treatment in Pakistan. Read story in The News International, Associated Press of Pakistan, Pakistan Observer, Dawn and Pakistan Link
Mon 05 Islamabad. Interior Ministry claims before Islamabad High Court it has written to US for extradition of Aafia. Adjourning the hearing of the case of extradition of Aafia till October 15, Islamabad High Court directs Interior Ministry to submit detailed reply within a week. Read story in Online International News Network
Tue 06 Texas. Aafia tells her version to Pakistani senators Mushahid Hussain Syed, Sadia Abbasi, Talha Mehmood and S. M Zafar and representative of Pakistani embassy Faqir Saeed who meet her for 2 hours 45 minutes: she was kidnapped while in 2003, given an injection and found herself in a cell where she was being forced to sign papers and confess things she didn't do, was threatened about the life of her children, and was "abused". She doesn't trust her US lawyers and asks for proper legal representation. Senators ask US Government to unconditionally release her. Read complete story in Daily Times. [Smaller accounts in Associated Press of Pakistan (first report), Associated Press of Pakistan (second report), Associated Press of Pakistan (third report), The News International, Geo (first report), Geo (second report), A Pakistan News, Pakistan Daily, Online International News Network, Dawn, Free Detainees, The Nation and incomplete and possibly biased report from Reuters]
Wed 07 Karachi. Mufti Muneebur Rehman, president of associations of madrassahs in Pakistan is reported to condemn suicide killings but also criticizing US version of Aafia Case. Read exclusive story on The News International
Fri 10 Islamabad. Foreign Office says in weekly briefing with special reference to Aafia Siddiqui, "The issue of fair treatment and repatriation of Pakistani detainees is raised at all levels including in leadership meetings with the US President". No examples are given to support this fabulous statement. Read story in Associated Press of Pakistan.
Sun 12 Texas. [According to later report] Aafia's brother meets her in prison: she "was brought in handcuffs and chains" and was paranoid and at times delusional", and said she was so tired of torture and abuse that she had requested not to be put on DNR and be allowed to die."
Tue 14 Washington, D.C. Pakistan embassy asks US authorities to arrange meeting between Aafia and members of her family including her mother and sister, and to provide information about her missing children Miriam and Suleman. Read story from Associated Press of Pakistan
Wed 15 Islamabad. High Court conveys to Ministry of Foreign Affair its concern over Aafia's missing children. Deputy Attorney General Shahid Iqbal Qureshi says, “Since Dr Aafia was not arrested from Pakistani soil, Pakistani laws are not applicable to her." Answering Barrister Iqbal Jafree's allegations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs American Desk Director Mansoor Ahmad produces documentary evidence of written correspondence between Pakistan and US governments to IHC Chief Justice in his chamber since it couldn't be made public. Next hearing is set for October 30. Read story in Daily Times and The News International
Wed 29 Islamabad. British journalist Yvonne Ridley announces in a press conference organized by Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf that Prisoner 650 was not Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, and there other Muslim women have also been illegally detained by US and Afghan authories. Read story in Daily Times
2008: November
Tue 11 Islamabad. Informing the National Assembly that the US strikes on Pakistani territory were now intolerable, Prime Minister Gilani says he has also conveyed to US Ambassador, Pakistan’s concern over continuous detention of Aafia in the US, and that he wanted her to be sent to Pakistan immediately on medical grounds. Read story in The News International.
Mon 17 Washington, D.C. Aafia is "not currently competent to proceed as a result of her mental disease, which renders her unable to understand the nature and consequences of the proceedings against her," Judge Berman reports the results of the court-ordered psychiatric evaluation. Read story at Reuters, ABC News, Associated Press (at Silive.com), Islamabad Observer, The Tech (MIT's Newspaper), New York Daily News
Mon 17 Karachi. Asim Sori and Imran Ahmed representing Human Rights Network file petition with Sindh High Court against illegal detention of Aafia and for her recovery. Read story in The Nation (Pakistan), Newspost Online,
Wed 19 Islamabad. The High Court disposes of a plea from Barrister Iqbal Jafree for taking Aafia case to the International Court of Justice. Read story in Daily Times
Wed 19 Washington, D.C. The Pakistani embassy asks the United States to urgently repatriate Dr Aafia Siddiqui to Pakistan for her rehabilitation in light of a report that her current mental state renders the neuroscientist unable to stand court trial. Read story from the Associated Press of Pakistan
Wed 19 Washington, D.C. Judge Berman orders that the course of treatment should continue, but that he would like to know more about whether she was held in secret US custody for five years. Aafia's lawyer Elizabeth Fink says that Aafia is hallucinating about her two missing children, one of whom" is in fact dead, killed in captivity" (quote is from the indirect report of Fink's statement). Read story in Associated Press, AFP, APakistanNews
Sat 22 Pakistan. Geo TV reports that the government of Pakistan has not provided the fund for pleading the case of Aafia, although President had claimed earlier that the government was footing the bills. Read story from Geo Television Network
Tue 25

Karachi. Sindh High Court on constitutional petition against abduction of Aafia and her three children isues notice to respondents issued notice to federal interior and foreign ministries and federation to respond on December 5. Read story from Geo Television Network
Thu 27 Spiegel Online prints 'The Most Dangerous Woman in the World,' a story about Aafia by Juliane von Mittelstaedt translated from German.
2008: December
Wed 3 Islamabad. High Court adjourns till January 15 the hearing of Barrister Jafree's petition regarding Aafia’s return. Read story in The News International
Fri 5 Karachi. Divisional bench of Sindh High Court adjourns to a date to be fixed later the hearing of petition filed for return of Aafia, after the petitioner seeks a week's time for complying to the issues raised by the office of the court. Read story in Daily Times
Wed 17 New York. On the scheduled date of hearing whether Aafia is mentally fit to stand trial, Judge Berman extends investigation and says the court will meet again on February 23, 2009. This despite the fact that he had already announced a month ago that Aafia was unfit to stand trial. Read story in The Post, AFP, Dawn
2009
2009: January
Fri 2 Islamabad. Interior Ministry calls Aafia's sister Fawzia Siddiqui for urgent meeting after Fauzia says on television that progress has been slow on the case. Read story on Geo Website
Mon 5 Islamabad. Reporting about his meeting with US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher, PM Gilani says, "I also demanded Dr Aafia Siddiqui’s return to Pakistan on humanitarian grounds and the release of Pakistanis from the Guatanamo bay prison." Read story at Dawn, News International, Associated Press of Pakistan, Pakistan Views, Gulf Daily News, Indopia, The Hindu
Mon 12

New York. Judge Ellis who refused bail for Aafia overrules petition to revoke bail of Bernard L. Madoff, charged with running a $50 billion Ponzi scheme. Read story in The New York Times (Deal Book Blogs).
Wed 14 New York. Judge Richard Berman extends investigation into whether Aafia is mentally fit to stand trial and says the court would meet again February 23. Read story in Pakistan Times.
Thu 15

Islamabad. Joint Meeting of Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights and Senate Foreign Relations Committee, in light of report prepared by Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Chairman Senate Foreign Relations Committee after committee’s visit to the US, condemns arrest and detention of Aafia as a violation of International Convention on Human Rights, suggests US ambassador should be summoned and presented charge sheet against US for making objectionable video of Aafia in New York jail, and asks human rights organizations in Pakistan to raise voice on the matter (Read story at Dr. Aafia Dot Org, Pakistan Observer and Online International News Network).

Report also quoted Aafia saying that one of her interrogators at Begram was Indian (Read story at Sindh Today).

Thu 15 Islamabad. In response to Barrister Syed Iqbal Jafree's petition, High Court observes that government has started comprehensive efforts regarding repatriation of Aafia. Read story in News International
Thu 15 Karachi. While hearing pertition filed by Human Rights Network, Division bench of Sindh High Court (SHC) expressed displeasure over government’s failure to submit comments or show any development in Aafia's repatriation case. Read story in Daily Times. Alternate version in Associated Press of Pakistan
2009: February
Thu 5 Islamabad. Women senators of Pakistan address a letter to US President Barack Hussein Obama, seeking repatriation of Aafia. Read story in Pak Tribune
Mon 9 Karachi. Aafia's sister Fouzia is called to Islamabad for urgent meeting with PM Gilani, again as she was about to hold press conference. She had stated that she received four-page threatening letter saying that Aafia's life would be at risk if Fouzia does not stop giving statements. Read stories in The News International, Online International News Network
Mon 9 Islamabad. Aafia's sister Fouzia meets PM Gilani and US special envoy on Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke, and says Gilani called Aafia's repatriation a vital issue for Pakistan while Holbrooke held out assurance to provide full justice to Aafia. Read story in Online International News Network (1) and (2) , The News International
Mon 9 Islamabad. Single bench of Islamabad High Court (IHC) again directs ministries of Foreign Affairs and Interior to submit replies by February 25 to petition by Barrister Syed Iqbal Jafree seeking repatriation of Aafia. Read story in News Flash, Daily Times, Asia News
Thu 12 Islamabad. Newly appointed Foreign Office spokesperson Abdul Basit refers to Aafia's sister Fouzia's meeting with PM Gilani and US Special Representative Envoy Holbrooke yesterday and states, “We are working on the issue and we hope that our efforts will yield positive results.” Read story in the News International
Feb 18 Dr Muhammad Amjad Khan, ex-husband of Aafia, speaks up after six years of silence and says most press reports favoring Aafia are false while the two missing children of Aafia and Khan might be in Karachi in the secret custody of Aafia's family. Read story in the News International
Mon 23 New York. Federal prosecutor says that two psychiatrists who have examined Aafia said she was not suffering from psychological illness that would render her unfit for trial. Judge Richard M. Berman of United States District Court in Manhattan says he might be ready to consider setting a trial date. Read story in the New York Times.
Wed 25 Islamabad. Barrister Syed Iqbal Jafree says he he will lodge FIR against former President Muharraf on behalf of Aafia. Read story in Pak Tribune
2009: March
Fri 6 Islamabad. Chief Justice Islamabad High Court (IHC), Justice Sardar Muhammad Aslam, who was supposed to deliver judgment on the petition of Barrister Syed Iqbal Jafree demanding repatriation of Aafia, has postponed judgment till Monday 9 while his tenure ends on Sunday 8! Read story in The News International
Mar 8 Karachi. Release of Aafia is demanded by Women's Day rally. Read story in Daily Times
Mon 09 New York. Aafia's trial should have begun today according to Judge Berman's decision of September 23 (as reported in Jurist, et al) but thanks to somersaults regarding mental fitness to stand trial, unfitness, fitness, and so on, the date passes without giving Aafia a chance to question the FBI's version of story.
Mon 9 Islamabad. Single bench of Islamabad High Court (IHC) consisting of Justice Munir Paracha, while announcing verdict in Barrister Syed Iqbal Jafree's petition seeking repatriation of Aafia, observes that Government of Pakistan must move the United Nations if its efforts for repatriation of Aafia fail. Read story in Regional Times, Daily Times, BBC News
c.Thu 19 Islamabad. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi claims that Pakistan has taken up the issue at every diplomatic forum. Read story in Pak Watan
Tue 24 Karachi. Sindh High Court (SHC) division bench directs federal government to file or otherwise comment on constitution petitions pertaining to repatriation of Aafia and her two children while putting off further hearing till April 15. Read story in Daily Times
Thu 26 New York. Judge Berman sets June 26 as new date for determining Aafia's competency to stand trial and for setting July 6 as trial date after prosecutors Assistant US attorney, David Raskin, submits documents stating that two independent government psychiatrists determined that Aafia was ‘malingering’ or faking symptoms of mental illness. Read story in SANA
Tue 31 London. Journalist Yvonne Ridley, at a news conference in the company of Lord Nazir Ahmed (member of the British Parliament) and others says that new evidence which has come to light since release last month from Guantanamo of US torture victim and British resident Binyam Mohammad (who spent a period of his seven-year detention in Bagram) corroborates her statement of July 2008 that Aafia remained in Bagram Jail in Afghanistan and held by US authorities during 5 years of her disappearance. Read story on Free Detainees, Dictatorship Watch, Associated Press of Pakistan, The Nation
2009: April
Wed 1 Islamabad. Justice of High Court (IHC) shifts the review petition for hearing in the matter of Aafia petitioned by Syed Iqbal Jafree to the new Chief of IHC, Justice Muhammad Bilal Khan while directing directed Ministry of Foreign Affairs to submit its comments. Read story in the News International (1) and (2)
Wed 1 Karachi. Sindh High Court (SHC) adjourns hearing of three petitions seeking repatriation of Aafia till tomorrow due to paucity of time. Read story in World Tribune Pakistan, News International
Fri 10 Islamabad. In a meeting with Aafia's sister Fouzia, Adviser to Prime Minister on Interior Rehman Malik says that government was in contact with US government for release of Aafia and some progress was expected soon in this connection. Read story in The News International
Mon 13 New York. Pakistan’s Ambassador to US Hussain Haqqani calls for early repatriation of Aafia while meeting US Attorney-General Eric Holder. Read story in Associated Press of Pakistan, The Nation
Fri 17 Islamabad. High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Muhammad Bilal Khan Friday directs deputy prosecutor general (DPG) to verify alleged misbehaviour of foreign minister with Aafia's sister Fouzia Siddiqui after counsel for petitioner Barrister Syed Iqbal Jafree informs the court about the incident. Read story in The News International
Tue 28 New York. Judge Richard Berman postpones July trial of Aafia and instead schedules a hearing to determine whether Aafia is competent to stand trial, as defense lawyer Dawn Cardi says that Aafia may use a mental illness defense if brought to trial while prosecution (which first brought up the issue of determining mental fitness) accuses Aafia of faking mental illness. Read story in Free Detainees, wcbstv.com, Fox News,
2009: May
   
   
2009: June
Wed 10 Texas. Pakistan's ambassador Husain Haqqani meets with Aafia at hospital in Texas. Read story in Pakistan Observer
Mon 15 Islamabad. Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) is reported to have sought access to Aafia through US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FIA). Read story in Dawn
Wed 17 New York. Muslim Legal Fund of America is reported to have raised $70,000 for fighting the trial of Aafia. Read story in Daily Times
Fri 26 New York. Prosecutors and defence lawyers for Aafia meet Judge Berman incamera ahead of trial next week. It is reported that Aafia has been transferred from Carswell to Metropolitan Detention Centre (MDC) in Brooklyn, New York.
Read report in Associated Press of Pakistan, The Nation, Tehran Times
Sun 28 Karachi. "Rulers must pressurise the US government to release Dr Aafia Siddiqui and those who handed her over to US authorities must be taken to task" is one of the resolutions passed in a rally for "freeing" Pakistan from US invasion. Read story in the News International, Islamic Observations Blog
Mon 29 Reuters. In a post on Reuter Blog Archive, Moazzam Begg confirms, "Binyam Mohamed told me that he recognised the picture I showed him of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, the Pakistani woman - whom the U.S. authorities deny was ever held at Bagram – who he had last seen in Bagram in a state of near insanity." Read full story on Reuters, The Nation, Daily News
2009: July
Wed 1

New York. Dr. Camille Kempke, a medical specialist detailed by Aafia’s defence lawyer Dawn Cardi, submits her report behind closed doors to Judge Richard Berman in the presence of prosecutors. According to Sally C Johnson, professor in psychiatry department at University of North Carolina, Aafia’s behaviour reflected malingering, the intentional production of grossly exaggerated psychological symptoms aimed at getting a result, such as avoiding a trial. Read report at Free Detainees, Daily Times, The Associated Press,

Thu 2 New York. Leslie Powers, a forensic psychologist, files her document dated May 5 stating, "her statements and other facts gathered seem to corroborate that she was not held captive" between 2003 and 2008 but worked freely in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Read story in The New York Times, Dawn, The Associated Press,
Mon 6 New York. Judge Berman says he will not rule today on whether Aafia is competent to stand trial, which is set for Oct 19. Aafia appeared in court after forced strip check as Judge Berman ordered her presence, and spoke for herself, "she never shot anybody, nor is she against America. America has been framed in a war because of a misunderstanding. She has knowledge of those who caused it and this knowledge she has is the reason that all this has happened to her because they don't want anyone to believe what she has to say about them." Berman "largely ignored Siddiqui's repeated rambling yesterday, brushing off her requests to fire her attorneys and instructing the witnesses to talk over her." Read report in Inside Edition, The Sydney Morning Herald, Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), All Voices, Cayman Mama, WKBT, WBur, Arguably non-serious reports in the Associated Press (AP), New York Law Journal, New York Post [1]and [2], The New York Times, Breaking News, SignOnSanDiego, ABC News, The Legalizer, Democratic Underground,
Fri 10 Islamabad. Barrister Jafree says the case of Aafia can be taken to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) under the Pak-US Treaty of Friendship and Commerce signed in 1959, as the government has failed to secure her repatriation diplomatically, and he is going to file a habeas corpus petition in Supreme Court. Read story in The News International
Mon 20

New York. Pakistan's Ambassador to US Husain Haqqani phones Aafia, discusses Pakistani government's efforts to secure her release and repatriation to Pakistan, and advises her to appoint a defense counsel. Read story in Samaa, The Nation, PK On Web, Urdu News, Daily Times,

Information presented here is based on availability. Please feel free to suggest update and corrections. Properly updated to May 5, 2009. Some later incidents still need to be cited.
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