Kerry on Conviction, Sentencing of Dr. Shakil Afridi
Press Contact :
Jodi Seth or 202-224-4159
Washington, DC –Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) today issued the following statement in response to the conviction of Dr. Shakil Afridi, a Pakistani doctor who assisted the United States in locating Osama bin Laden. Dr. Afridi was found guilty of treason by a Pakistani court and sentenced to serve 33 years in prison.
"Americans will have great difficulty knowing that one year after the United States found and killed the most notorious terrorist in modern history hiding on Pakistani soil, the most visible action being taken to find out how he came to be in Pakistan is the conviction in a Pakistani court of the physician who helped the United States identify Osama bin Laden. The irony is, the only person being punished is the person who helped the United States achieve justice for the murder of thousands of Americans. I believe in the importance of the US-Pakistan strategic relationship, but realities like these make that effort more difficult."
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