John Walker Lindh's Prison Life Isn't So Bad, But He's Still Suing to Pray

Reuters
Alexander Abad-Santos 2,759 Views Aug 27, 2012

Last we saw John Walker Lindh, the so-called "American Taliban," he had being captured in Afghanistan alongside the Taliban, but today he's suing the Federal Bureau of Prisons so he and his fellow inmates in a secret Indiana prison can all pray together. "The Bureau of Prisons didn't want to talk about the specifics of the case," NPR's Carrie Johnson and Margot Williams reported Monday. "But they argued in court papers that allowing inmates to pray together every day could pose a security threat and could ignite violence against Muslims by prisoners who follow other religions," they add. CNN adds that the unit that houses Lindh has 55 cells and that the majority of prisoners are Muslims. And NPR's team report that Lindh had already been reprimanded three previous times--two of which had to do with Muslim prayers. He's being defended by the ACLU. The lawsuit, according to CNN, also showed us how Lindh is living (it doesn't sound that bad): 

The court filings also gave a glimpse inside the prison unit, describing it as "an open unit, meaning that they have freedom to move around various places in the unit during the times they are not restricted in their cells."

There is an area with a computer where they can send e-mail; a food services area with tables and a microwave; a lounge area with multiple televisions; a room with exercise equipment; and a room with a washer and dryer, the records said.

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