March 30 Commemorated in 15 countries
Aafia Movement coordinated a series of marches, rallies, demonstrations and other events on March 30, 2012 to mark the 9th anniversary of the kidnap and rendition of Dr. Aafia and her three young children from Pakistan in 2003.
Events were held across 15 countries including Indonesia, Iran, Kashmir, Pakistan, South Africa, UK, USA and others. In Pakistan, rallies were held in 50 cities and towns with thousands registering their support for the reunification of Dr. Aafia with her children and family.
A few of the news items are posted below:
South Africa
A drive to free jailed Pakistani scientist Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, gained momentum in South Africa today, after hundreds of protesters marched to the US consulate in sandton, north of Johannesburg. Protesters demanded the US Government to release Aafia.
‘‘We wish to thank all those who participated in today’s march in support of our sister Aafia’’ said, Inayet Wadee, Spokesperson for the free Aafia campaign in South Africa.
Wadee described today’s March as a success ‘‘many people attended the march and US officials at the consulate warmly welcomed us before receiving our memorandum’’ the activist said.
Links:
PAKISTAN
DAWN
AN American soldier on a shooting spree in Afghanistan’s southern province of Kandahar killed 17 innocent Afghan civilians and wounded several others. On September 23, 2010 US Judge Richard Berman sentenced Dr Aafia Siddiqui to 86 years of imprisonment for the ‘intent’ to murder US officers in Afghanistan.
In all likelihood, the American ‘justice’ will prevail with awarding a ‘light’ sentence to the American soldier who killed civilians in Afghanistan. On a similar note, Raymond Davis has still not been tried in any US court for the killing of Pakistani nationals while all efforts are in the offing to push our parliament to pass a resolution for the opening of Nato supply lines. Has the US ever heard the words ‘justice and human rights’?
OpEdNews
Pakistanis Protest US Jail for Aafia
NATION
JI Rallies for Early release of Dr. Aafia
Pak Opposition seeks AAfia Release as Condition for Normal Ties with US
(Chaudhry) Nisar said that his party would propose two amendments in the draft resolution containing 16 recommendations firmed up by the Parliamentary Committee on the National Security (PCNS) and these two proposals include resolution of core issue of Kashmir and release of Aafia Siddiqui.
DEMOTIX
Aafia Movement Calls on Youth To Make a Positive Difference
IRAN
People took to the street of the capital Islamabad to protest the government's failure to secure the release of a Pakistani neuroscientist Dr Aafia Siddique from the US custody.
Nine years on her detention has once again brought the people onto the streets to highlight what they call her mistrial in 2010 by a New York court which sentenced her to 86 years in prison on charges of attempted murder of American soldiers during her detention in an Afghan prison in 2008.
Pakistan's secret intelligence agencies allegedly kidnapped Dr Aafia from her home along with her children from Karachi and they were then handed over to the US in 2003, during the reign of former military ruler, General Parvez Musharraf…
