Pakistan - Doctor's Conviction Appealed - NYTimes.com Lawyers for Shakil Afridi, the Pakistani doctor who helped the C.I.A. find Osama bin Laden, lodged an appeal on Friday to overturn his conviction. On May 23, tribal authorities sentenced Dr. Afridi to 33 years in prison and fined him $3,500, although the conviction related to charges of aiding the militant group Lashkar-i-Islam, rather than ties to the C.I.A. The appeal document said that the charges were "false, concocted and without foundation" because Dr. Afridi had no links with Lashkar-i-Islam, and that he had not received a fair trial under the legal framework that applies in Pakistan's tribal belt. It said Dr. Afridi was kidnapped by Lashkar-i-Islam in 2008 and forced to pay a ransom of $10,600 to win his freedom.