Dr. Shakil Afridi
DW: The forgotten case of the 'bin Laden doctor'
Al Qaeda's former chief was killed in 2011, but the person who allegedly helped the CIA find Osama bin Laden has been languishing in jail for over six years. Shakil Afridi's family has no trust in the judicial system.
Ahead of a tribal court hearing on Thursday, the family of Dr. Shakil Afridi, the man who helped the United States' Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) find the former al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, complained that the convict has been illegally detained for years and not received a fair trial.
In May 2012, Afridi was first convicted of treason by a Pakistani court and sentenced to 33 years in prison. He was later charged for having links with Islamist militants. Pakistani authorities have since kept Afridi in solitary confinement in a secret prison. Only few officials can meet or talk to him. Afridi is not allowed to speak to his family or the media.
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WNU Editor: I made this comment in 2013 and it still holds ....
.... If it was not for his efforts .... Osama Bin laden may still be free today. This Pakistani doctor is a hero .... languishing in a Pakistani jail for helping the CIA to find Bin Laden sends a clear signal to everyone in the world .... the U.S. will not help you if you help us and get caught for your efforts.
4 comments:
Yep.this is the most prominent, sad case of the US not helping those who risked their lives for them. This guy should have been freed years ago. I'm sure there's a good reason why he isn't free yet (Pakistan got embarrassed in front of the whole world, caught as Bin Laden sympathisers, so they will not give him up easily, and they have nukes lol. But still. Even if it were to cost $1bn in bribes to get him out, he needs to be freed.it's been too long already
That's Pakistan for you. Dr. Shakil Afridi is in prison, and AQ Khan is a national hero living free.
It was probobly naiv to let him stay in Pakistan. It was very obvious from the place they found Bin Ladin that the government of Pakistan was helping him. The hiding place was so close to the military Academy.
It is also an open secret that pakistani intelligence is deeply involved in various jihadist terror groups.
The whole operation was an embarresment for different power groups in Pakistan. My prediction is that the doctor will be in jail for many years to come.
We broke bread with him.
We owe him big time. We owe it to him to get him out of Pakistan and to make him whole.
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