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Amicus Curiae Brief Calls Al-Marri Detention Illegal

Physicians for Human Rights joined human rights and religious organizations in an amicus curiae (friend of the court) brief, submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court on January 28, 2009 in the Al-Marri v. Spagone case. Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri, a Qatari national, has been detained as an “enemy combatant” in the United States in prolonged isolation for five years, reportedly “driven nearly insane by months of punishing isolation and sensory deprivation.” The brief argues that al-Marri’s transfer and detention were illegal, exceeding the government’s detention authority, and motivated by the government’s intention to employ highly coercive interrogation methods. The brief asks the Supreme Court to find al-Marri’s designation as an “enemy combatant” improper and hold that his detention is unauthorized.Download the brief

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