Thaindian News

New York, Jan.20 (ANI): Detained Pakistani neuroscientist Dr.Aafia Siddiqui, who is currently in detention here, has been formally charged by the US for allegedly shooting at her US interrogators in Afghanistan in July last year.

Aafia had to be led out of the courtroom forcibly after she yelled at the jurors during the trial.

Aafia, 37, blamed the US authorities of keeping her in a secret cell, completely secluded.

“I’m being forced to come. I would rather stay in my prison cell,” she said.

During the trial, Assistant US Attorney Jenna M. Dabbs told the District Court in Manhattan thatDr Aafia had snatched an army soldier’s M-4 assault rifle, which he had placed on the floor of a second-floor office at the Afghan police compound; burst from behind a curtain in the office; and attempted to shoot the assembled agents and soldiers

“This is a straightforward case.The defendant saw an opportunity and she acted on it. The defendant picked up that assault rifle, saw agents and soldiers and tried to kill them,” Dabbs argued.

However, Aafia’ s lawyer Charles Swift denied the charges,saying there were no evidence that she ever touched or fired the M-4 rifle.

“The soldiers had given different versions of where she was when the M-4 was allegedly fired and how many shots were fired,” The Dawn quoted Swift, as saying.

Aafia faces up to 20 years in prison on the attempted murder charges and life in prison on the firearms charge. (ANI)