Aafia Siddiqui

About

Aafia Siddiqui is a Pakistani neuroscientist who was convicted in the United States for crimes related to terrorism. Born on March 2, 1972, in Karachi, Pakistan, Siddiqui moved to the U.S. in the 1990s for her studies, eventually earning a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 2008, she was apprehended in Afghanistan after being found with documents indicating plans to attack U.S. officials. During her capture, she allegedly grabbed a soldier's weapon and opened fire, which led to her being shot and later tried in a U.S. court. Siddiqui was sentenced to 86 years in prison for attempted murder and for her possession of weapons of mass destruction. Her case has drawn international attention and protests from various human rights organizations, arguing that she was a victim of torture and unjust treatment. Siddiqui's supporters claim she was unfairly targeted, while the U.S. government considers her a terrorist. Her incarceration has sparked debates regarding the rights of prisoners and the implications of U.S. foreign policy.