Attorney says Siddiqui was tortured

NEW YORK, Aug. 14 (UPI) -- The attorney for a Pakistani woman arrested and charged with trying to kill U.S. troops in Afghanistan says the woman was mistreated while in custody.

Attorney Elizabeth Fink said Aafia Siddiqui, 36, arrested in July in Afghanistan, underwent what Fink described as "torture" while being held by Southwest Asian and U.S. officials, Newsday reported Thursday.

Fink said Siddiqui was strip-searched, which she said was tantamount to "torture" for a Muslim woman, because of her religious beliefs.

Fink also criticized information that documents found in Siddiqui's possession when she was arrested contained a list of landmarks that reportedly were terrorist targets, the New York publication said.

"I haven't seen it yet," Fink said of the list. "This stuff was planted on her."

Siddiqui was arrested after she allegedly tried to shoot U.S. soldiers with a rifle she seized while being held at an Afghan police facility, a federal criminal complaint filed in Manhattan alleged. No soldiers were injured but Siddiqui was shot twice.

A search of Siddiqui before the shooting found documents describing how to create explosives and chemical, biological and radiological weapons, court papers said. Siddiqui also allegedly had a list of landmarks and chemical substances in sealed containers.