US State Dept declines comment on Pakistan’s request for Aafia Siddiqui’s release

The US State Department has refrained from commenting on the case of Pakistani neuroscientist Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, who is serving an 86-year sentence in the US on terrorism charges.

During a press briefing, Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel directed inquiries to the Department of Justice, stating he would not address private diplomatic communications.

“So first, I certainly wouldn’t get into private diplomatic communications,” he said.

This comes after it was revealed that Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif requested Dr. Siddiqui’s release on humanitarian grounds in a letter to US President Joe Biden. The letter was submitted to Islamabad High Court as part of efforts to secure her extradition.