INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — An American-born Taliban fighter imprisoned in Indiana will try to convince a federal judge in a trial starting Monday that his religious freedom trumps security concerns, in a closely watched trial that will examine prisoners’ rights in the age of terrorism.
John Walker Lindh was charged with supporting terrorists after he was captured by U.S. troops in Afghanistan and later pleaded guilty to lesser charges.
Lindh, 31, is serving a 20-year sentence at a federal facility in Terre Haute where he and other inmates have severely limited contact with the outside world. The Muslim convert claims his religious rights are being violated because the prison deprives him of daily group prayer.
- Text smaller
- Text bigger