Emad Abdullah Hassan [4] filed a federal lawsuit on March 11 in the US District Court for the District of Columbia [5] that challenges the force-feeding procedures at the Guantánamo Bay military prison. Hassan, who has been held in Guantanamo since 2002, alleges that he has been force-fed more than 5,000 times since 2007 [6] in an effort to end his hunger strike. Hassan's case will be the first time at a court will review the force-feeding procedures used at Guantanamo since the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit [7] ruled (PDF [8]) last month that federal judges have jurisdiction to hear such cases. Hassan's attorney argues [9] that the force-feeding procedures amount to torture and says that he hopes the lawsuit will force the military to hand over documents regarding detainee policies and procedures.
From Jurist [10], March 12. Used with permission.
