‘Underwear bomber’ sues US Justice Department over maltreatment, force-feeding in prison

A Nigerian man serving multiple life sentences in the United States for trying to bomb a plane has sued the U . S . Justice Department , Federal Bureau of Prisons and Attorney General Jeff Sessions for denying him free speech and religious rights .
Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab , popularly known as the ‘ Underwear bomber ’ had on Christmas Day 2009 attempted to set - off a bomb hidden in his underwear during an Amsterdam to Detroit flight .

Abdulmutallab , who was then 22 , was sentenced to life imprisonment and jailed at the United States Penitentiary - Administrative Maximum Facility in Florence , Colorado .
But in a suit filed in a Colorado federal court on Wednesday , the 30- year - old said authorities in the prison were violating his constitutional rights by not allowing him to communicate with the outside world or practice his religion as a Muslim .
The lawsuit alleged that once Abdulmutallab got to prison , he was immediately placed in long-term solitary confinement and placed under special administrative measures (SAMs ) that prohibited his communication with most of his family members up until last year when he was allowed to talk to his sister .
According to reports , he ’ s still not allowed to talk to any of his nieces or nephews .
The lawsuit further accused staff at the facility of repeatedly force feeding him during a hunger strike using “ excessively and unnecessarily painful ” methods.
It alleged that white supremacist inmates were also permitted to harass him during prayer times.

“ Prisoners retain fundamental constitutional rights to communicate with others and have family relationships free from undue interference by the government , ” said Gail Johnson, his attorney , in a statement to the New York Times .
“ The restrictions imposed on our client are excessive and unnecessary, and therefore we seek the intervention of the federal court . ”
Abdulmutallab trained at an al Qaeda camp in Yemen under the direction of U . S . - born Muslim cleric Anwar al - Awlaki , according to the Justice Department .
Anwar al - Awlaki , who is a Colorado State graduate , had called for the killing of Americans before he was likely killed in a drone strike in 2011 .
Source punchng