NEW YORK – Federal prosecutors say a U.S.-trained scientist from Pakistan suspected of being an Al Qaeda operative is faking mental illness to avoid a trial.
Aafia Siddiqui was a global fugitive for five years until she turned up at a police station in Afghanistan over the summer and was wounded in a struggle with U.S. soldiers.
Her mental health has been in question since her arrest.
Psychologists initially concluded she was unfit for trial. But a federal prosecutor told a judge in New York on Thursday that two other psychiatrists say she is manipulating the court by pretending to be ill, The New York Times reported Friday.
A hearing is planned for June 1.
Siddiqui studied at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Brandeis University before returning to Pakistan in 2003.
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