News Briefs
Siddiqui Found Not Competent
Aafia Siddiqui ’95, the MIT alumna arrested in Afghanistan in July, has been declared “not competent” to stand trial “as a result of her mental disease, which renders her unable to understand the nature and consequences of the proceedings against her or to assist properly in her defense,” according to a forensic evaluation dated Nov. 6 and quoted in a court order released yesterday. Siddiqui had been previously diagnosed with chronic depressive type psychosis in September.
Siddiqui was arrested in Afghanistan in July; she was suspected of carrying a bomb. She allegedly attacked U.S. personnel while in custody, and has been held by the U.S. since. Siddiqui had been missing since 2003, when she disappeared in Karachi, Pakistan. She had been wanted since 2004 by the U.S. government, in part because of her marriage to Amar Al-Baluchi, an accused terrorist currently being held at Guantanamo Bay.
Siddiqui was transferred to a facility in Texas on Oct. 2 for the purpose of performing the mental evaluation.
—John A. Hawkinson
ASA Elects Officers, De-recognizes Groups, Eases New Group Recognition
The Association of Student Activities’ General Body elected two students to fill vacant board positions last night.
Leonid Chindelevitch G became the graduate member-at-large and Dylon R. Rockwell ’11 became student member-at-large. Chindelevitch ran unopposed, while Rockwell ran against Katherine L. Ray ’10 and Quentin Smith ’10.
At the meeting, the ASA General Body voted to de-recognize about 60 dormant groups that had not responded to repeated e-mail messages or sent representatives to the meeting.
The ASA also voted to revise its operating guidelines in a move intended to make the recognition of new groups easier and lower some of the barriers to recognition.