Pakistani doctor convicted of militancy, not CIA ties
Source: Agencies |
May 31, 2012, Thursday
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A Pakistani doctor who assisted the CIA in tracking down Osama bin Laden was sentenced to 33 years in prison for conspiring with an Islamist militant commander, a verdict that will make it more difficult for Washington to argue for his release.
The judgment against Shakil Afridi debunked the widely held assumption that he had been convicted for his involvement with the American spy agency.
The decision referred to unspecified evidence that Afridi had "acted" with foreign intelligence agencies, but went on to say any charges related to that couldn't be considered because the court didn't have jurisdiction. The Associated Press obtained a copy of the five-page document, first reported by Pakistan's Dawn newspaper, yesterday.
Earlier this week, Afridi's family and lawyers said he was innocent and would appeal. They said they had not yet seen the court verdict and refused to comment on his relations with the CIA. The trial was carried out in a court in the country's tribal regions close to Afghanistan. A political official, in consultation with tribal elders, ruled on the case in secret.
Afridi ran a vaccination campaign on behalf of the CIA to collect blood samples from bin Laden's family at a compound in Abbottabad where US commandos killed the al-Qaida leader. It was unclear whether he succeeded, but US officials have publicly said he helped the effort to track bin Laden.
The fact Afridi was technically convicted for militancy, not helping the CIA, could complicate Washington's efforts to press for his release.
The verdict said Afridi was guilty of conspiring with a militant group led by commander Mangal Bagh. It said he gave money to the group and treated its leaders at a hospital in Khyber when he was stationed there.
According to unnamed witnesses, he did this because of his "deep affiliation with the group." Others, also unnamed, said the group planned terrorist attacks in Afridi's office.
The judgment against Shakil Afridi debunked the widely held assumption that he had been convicted for his involvement with the American spy agency.
The decision referred to unspecified evidence that Afridi had "acted" with foreign intelligence agencies, but went on to say any charges related to that couldn't be considered because the court didn't have jurisdiction. The Associated Press obtained a copy of the five-page document, first reported by Pakistan's Dawn newspaper, yesterday.
Earlier this week, Afridi's family and lawyers said he was innocent and would appeal. They said they had not yet seen the court verdict and refused to comment on his relations with the CIA. The trial was carried out in a court in the country's tribal regions close to Afghanistan. A political official, in consultation with tribal elders, ruled on the case in secret.
Afridi ran a vaccination campaign on behalf of the CIA to collect blood samples from bin Laden's family at a compound in Abbottabad where US commandos killed the al-Qaida leader. It was unclear whether he succeeded, but US officials have publicly said he helped the effort to track bin Laden.
The fact Afridi was technically convicted for militancy, not helping the CIA, could complicate Washington's efforts to press for his release.
The verdict said Afridi was guilty of conspiring with a militant group led by commander Mangal Bagh. It said he gave money to the group and treated its leaders at a hospital in Khyber when he was stationed there.
According to unnamed witnesses, he did this because of his "deep affiliation with the group." Others, also unnamed, said the group planned terrorist attacks in Afridi's office.
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