The Fight to Free
Dr. Aafia Siddiqui
Maria Kari, alongside human rights attorney Clive S. Smith, proudly represents Dr. Aafia Siddiqui pro bono in her decades-long fight for justice from an unjust 86-year sentence for crimes she did not commit.
Dr. Aafia Siddiqui’s story began in 2003 when she was abducted off the streets of Karachi, Pakistan, along with her three children. Her six-month-old son, Suleman, was dropped on his head during the operation and is presumed dead. Her six-year-old son, Ahmed, was taken and imprisoned for five years in an Afghan prison until the International Red Cross helped reunite him with his family. Her three-year-old daughter, Mariam, was forcibly adopted by a white Christian family, where she spent six years before being returned to Dr. Siddiqui’s sister with the help of former Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
Dr. Siddiqui herself is the only woman we know to have been subjected to the CIA’s notorious rendition-to-torture program. She was tortured and sexually violated at various CIA black sites in Afghanistan, including the notorious Bagram prison, for five years before being framed for the attempted murder of U.S. soldiers in Ghazni. At her trial, she received 86 years in prison and continues to suffer at FMC Carswell in Fort Worth, Texas, where her rights and dignity continue to be violated.
Our investigation, after nearly three years, has proven Dr. Siddiqui’s innocence and uncovered the truth of her tragic position as one of the many victims of the War “of” Terror.
Our legal team is currently fighting multiple legal battles for Dr. Aafia’s freedom. Our work will always remain pro bono.
We welcome your donations to cover our operational and administrative costs.
For case updates, follow The Aafia Movement.