The Irish Republican Socialist Party have arranged a protest in solidarity with Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, to be held at the United States embassy in Dublin on the 27th March at 2.30pm. We would encourage all Republican, socialist and anti-war activists to attend this protest and show their opposition to the American imperialist intervention in the Middle-East and to demand a stop to the internment and torture of innocent people like Dr. Aafia Siddiqui.
Dr. Aafia Siddiqui is a citizen of the United States and of Pakistani origin. She is a scientist educated at MIT and Brandeis University.
Dr. Siddiqui was abducted in Pakistan in March 2003 for no known reason and was sent to Afghanistan where she was held secretly for 5 years in Bagram prison. Bagram prison, often described as the ‘forgotten Guantánamo’, is notorious for the brutal treatment and torture of those held there. Her detainment in Bagram is something the US. government denies but her presence there has been verified by former prisoners held at Bagram.
At the time of Dr. Siddiqui’s abduction she was with her 3 young children. She has no idea what has become of her two youngest children, one being just a few months old at the time, while her 7 year old son was interned with her and subjected so similar abuse and torture.
On February 3rd 2010, Dr. Siddiqui was found guilty by a court in New York of attempted murder while she being detained. She was accused of taking an assault rifle off of a US. army officer in an interview room and firing the weapon at members of the US. military and FBI personnel who were all present. Yet Dr. Siddiqui’s finger prints were not found on the weapon in question, no bullets were found, no shell casings, no bullet holes and none of the people present in this meeting room were injured...that is except Aadia Siddiqui who was shot in the stomach and almost died from her injuries.
The conviction of Dr. Siddiqui in her show trial was nothing but an attempt to cover up the abused and horrors that she has suffered. She was never charged with any offence while detained. It is also important to realise that this is all too common place in the Middle-East and Dr. Siddiqui’s story is just one of many similar instances.
We demand her immediate release and for her to be re-united with her children who are still missing. We demand an end to America’s imperialist intervention in the Middle-East which has brought a wave of death, destruction, pain and torture to the people of that region.
http://www.cageprisoners.com/prisoners.php?id=1367
http://www.draafia.org/
End Capitalism! End Imperialism!
Irish Republican Socialist Party
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ADDENDUM 28/3/2010:
CLICK HERE FOR A REPORT ON THE PROTEST AND PHOTOS FROM THE REPUBLICAN SOCIALIST FORUM
