NEW YORK (AP) – Federal prosecutors say a U.S.-trained scientist suspected of being an Al Qaida 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.

A hearing is planned for June 1.

Siddiqui studied at MIT and Brandeis University before fleeing to her native Pakistan in 2003.

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Information from: The New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com

AP-ES-03-27-09 1011EDT