NEW YORK : Dr Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani scientist languishing in US jail on charges of attacking US forces in Afghanistan, has expressed no confidence in lawyers provided by the Pakistani government and refused to appear before the US federal court.
However, the court directed the defense lawyers to continue pursuing the case.
Aafia Siddiqui, who was arrested one and half years ago in Bagram, Afghanistan on charges of attacking US forces there told the court on Wednesday that neither she has trust in lawyers provided by the Pakistani government nor she would appear before the court.
Before the trial, the federal judge said facility of videoconference to Aafia could be provided in the wake of reservations she has about corporeal searching, so that she had not to come to court in person.
The court rejected her objection in lawyers and directed them to continue their working.
According to reliable sources, Aafia also expressed her desire of contacting directly Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), while sources also claimed that she challenged the government case and demanded to present those army personels in front of her, who she blamed had attacked her.
Various human rights organizations staged protest demonstration and expressed solidarity with Dr Aafia Siddiqui on the occasion she was presented before the court.
The protesters were also holding placards about missing persons in Pakistan demanding that to present the missing persons before the court and also strict action against former president Pervez Musharraf.
The next hearing of the case would be on January 19, 2010.
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