New York, Februay 04: A US-educated Pakistani woman was found guilty on Wednesday of trying to kill American servicemen in Afghanistan.
Aafia Siddiqui, 37, a neuroscientist trained at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was found guilty on all charges by a jury in federal court.
A family lawyer immediately announced an appeal, citing “prejudice and bias”.
Siddiqui was accused of grabbing a rifle at an Afghan police station where she was being interrogated in July 2008 and trying to gun down a group of US servicemen.
Although she was not charged with terrorism, prosecutors described her as a would-be terrorist who had also plotted to bomb New York.
Her lawyers tried to prove she was insane, but a judge ruled her fit to stand trial.
Tina Monshipour, an attorney for Siddiqui’s family, said afterwards: “This verdict is being subject to an appeal.”
“There were a lot of unfair decisions,” Monshipour said. “She was portrayed as a terrorist even if there were no terrorism charges in this trial. This is one of those cases in which we see prejudice and bias invading the courtroom.”
Siddiqui, wearing a white veil, repeatedly disrupted her trial with outbursts at the jury, witnesses and her own lawyers, including claims that she was a victim of Israel.
—PTI