Aafia must be allowed to appeal against judgement: NCSW

The National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) on Saturday demanded that Dr Aafia Siddiqui must be allowed to appeal against the judgement in a neutral court or sent back to her home country where law can take its due course. In a statement, the NCSW said that the sentence pronounced by the US Federal Court in Manhattan against Dr Aafia Siddiqui is extremely shocking.
The Commission is of the opinion that the manner in which the entire case was handled and the trial conducted is a gross violation of international human rights norms. It is a matter of deep regret and concerns that international covenants and agreements adopted by consensus by the nations of the world are being seriously undermined by states that purport to uphold women's human rights and human rights. There has been strong suspicion throughout that Dr Aafia Siddiqui was severely tortured. States and governments have an obligation to uphold the Geneva Conventions and adhere to agreed human rights standards, the commission said.