January 28, 2010, New York, NY – International Justice Network attorneys have been monitoring the trial of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, which began on January 19, and continues this week in U.S. Federal Court in the Southern District of New York.

Tina M. Foster, Executive Director the International Justice Network and spokesperson for Muhammad Siddiqui, Aafia’s brother, issued the following statement today on behalf of her U.S.-based family:

Thursday marked a turning point in the trial of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, who decided to take the witness stand in her own defense.  She declared under oath for the first time that she "was tortured in a secret prison" and that her missing children are all that has been on her mind every day. Dr. Siddiqui denied ever having shot at anyone, and appeared to remain unshaken even under intense cross-examination by the prosecution.  She explained that she was shot by US soldiers while attempting to peek around the curtain partition in the interrogation room, while looking for a way to escape.  Before her testimony was cut short by the Judge, Dr. Siddiqui mentioned that her fear of being sent back to a secret prison had made her anxious to escape.