Elham Asaad Buaras
A lawsuit was filed against several officials in Missouri, US, on March 2, for allegedly pepper-spraying Muslim inmates while they prayed, physically assaulting them, and then retaliating against them when they complained.
According to the lawsuit, on February 28, 2021, while nine Muslim men were praying, a corrections officer from the Missouri Department of Corrections (MDOC) abruptly told them to stop, even though the men had previously prayed together three times that day.
A total of 20 officers were dispatched to the scene.Two of the men paused in their prayers and took a step back. Two other people also stopped praying but were handcuffed. According to the lawsuit, five of the men were doused with pepper spray, some while handcuffed, and one prisoner was assaulted.
Seven of the men were taken to segregation, where they were not provided with different clothes, heat, or beds.
According to the lawsuit, medical evaluations, eyewash, showers, cleaning supplies, and medical advice were withheld.
The men were initially charged with a major conduct violation for “acts of organised disobedience” by three or more offenders. That was later reduced to a minor conduct violation. They were found guilty and released from segregation on March 10, 2021.
The lawsuit alleges that some of the men were transferred to other prisons without cause, while others were continually subjected to physical abuse and humiliation or were retaliated against after they filed complaints.
“Viewing Muslims as nothing more than a gang, more than a dozen guards participated in this violent episode,” says the lawsuit.
“The brutality began as an effort to disrupt Muslims praying together but morphed into a protracted effort to punish those who prayed—dispersing Plaintiffs throughout the state via transfers and otherwise retaliating against them,” it added.
The defendants are accused of violating the inmates’ constitutional rights, including the right to practise their religion, to be free from cruel and unusual punishment, and to be free from racial discrimination.
The plaintiffs are seeking a jury trial and asking that the court award appropriate damages.
“The treatment these incarcerees were reportedly subjected to is appalling and a complete violation not only of their legal rights but of their basic human dignity,” said CAIR-Missouri Board Chair Yasir Ali. “We are hopeful that justice will prevail in this case and those who are guilty will be held accountable.”
“This lawsuit is about holding state officials to account and upholding the rights of all citizens,” said Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Legal Fund, Civil Rights Attorney Kimberly Noe-Lehenbauer. “Once a person enters a correctional facility, they do not lose their most basic rights and become an open target for violence and abuse.”
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
