PESHAWAR, Pakistan — The lawyer for a Pakistani doctor who helped the United States track down Osama bin Laden has fled Pakistan after receiving threats from militants, relatives said on Wednesday.
The terrorists threatened to blow up Samiullah Afridi’s car and kill his family, a relative said.
“We cannot disclose the country he left for due to security threats to his life,” the relative said, asking for anonymity.
“Militants warned him to stop pleading the case, or else he and his family would face the consequences.”
Lawyer Afridi represented Dr. Shakil Afridi, who ran a fake-vaccination campaign to try to help US officials hunt down bin Laden.
Dr. Afridi was arrested after US special forces killed bin Laden in May 2011 in the town of Abbottabad.
The secret raid outraged Pakistan.
Following the arrest, Dr. Afridi was sentenced to 33 years in jail for membership in the militant group Lashkar-e-Islam, an accusation he denies.
In August, Pakistan overturned his conviction, citing procedural errors and ordering a retrial.
Now the doctor faces murder charges relating to the death of a patient eight years ago. A judgment is expected Dec. 18.
Samiullah Afridi is the second member of the legal team to flee following militant threats.