NEW YORK, NY -- October 27 -- The Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) in conjunction with the law offices of Baach Robinson and Lewis today filed papers on behalf of four British citizens held at the Guantánamo Bay detention center for nearly three years. The men, Shafiq Rasul, Asif Iqbal, Rhuhel Ahmed and Jamal Al-Harith seek damages for torture and other human rights violations stemming from their arbitrary detention on the island prison camp until March 2003. It is brought under the Alien Tort Claims Act Fifth and Eighth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, Geneva Conventions, and Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Rasul was the lead plaintiff in the CCR’S landmark Supreme Court case Rasul v. Bush in which the Court held that those held on Guantánamo had a right to judicial review of their detentions.

The suit will seek $10 million in damages for each of the plaintiffs. Defendants include Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld, Air Force General Richard Myers, Army Major General Geoffrey Miller, Army Major General Michael E. Dunleavey and other current and former officials responsible for Guantánamo.

CCR released a report two months ago in which three of the former detainees suing today described abuses at Guantánamo. The men, Rasul, Iqbal and Ahmad - collectively referred to as the Tipton 3 -detailed their experiences, graphically describing the same techniques later related to the New York Times by military sources. Regular abuses described by the men include the practice of shackling prisoner’s hands and feet to a bolt in the floor while they were seated in a chair and while strobe lights and loud music were played in a room chilled by air conditioning set at maximum levels. The men were subjected to these conditions for up to 14 hours at a time.

The full report of the Tipton 3 is available on the web site of the Center for Constitutional Rights at www.ccr-ny.org. Copies of the complaint will be available at the news conference and subsequently on the CCR web site.

WHAT: News Conference to announce the filing of Rasul v. Rumsfeld.

WHERE: Law Office of Baach Robinson & Lewis

1201 F Street NW Suite 500, Washington DC

WHEN: Wednesday, October 27th 11:00am

WHO: Eric Lewis, Esq. Baach Robinson and Lewis;

Barbara Olshansky, Associate Legal Director, Center for Constitutional Rights;

Ron Daniels, Executive Director, Center for Constitutional Rights

Robert Lizar, U.K. attorney for plaintiff Jamal Al-Harith

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