More appeal delays for jailed Pakistani doctor who helped find bin Laden
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 6 March 2015 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, More appeal delays for jailed Pakistani doctor who helped find bin Laden, 6 March 2015, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5509418d6.html [accessed 22 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
March 06, 2015
Dr. Shakeel Afridi attends a malaria control campaign in Khyber tribal district in July 2010.
A Pakistani doctor who was jailed after helping the CIA hunt down Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden faces fresh legal hurdles to his appeal because the tribunal that was hearing his appeal has been dissolved.
Shakeel Afridi was sentenced to 33 years in prison in May 2012 after he was convicted by a Pakistani tribal court of having ties to militants.
A year later, a tribunal reduced his sentence by 10 years.
But his appeal has faced numerous delays and postponements, and some U.S. lawmakers say his imprisonment is revenge for helping the United States track down the Al-Qaeda chief.
On March 5, an outgoing member of the tribal court hearing Afridi's appeal confirmed that the tribunal was no longer functioning because contracts for its members and chairman expired in January.
No replacements have been hired and no plans have been made to renew the contracts.
It remains unclear when the next hearing in Afridi's appeal will take place.
Based on reporting by Dawn and AFP
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
