Attorneys for accused Boston bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev are complaining about the restrictions being placed on their client in prison.
The motion claims Tsarnaev is almost completely isolated and confined to his cell. They also object to him having just one small outdoor enclosure he can access and his time there is very limited.
The lawyers say the "Special Administrative Measures" imposed on Tsarnaev last month by the Attorney General Eric Holder is making it difficult for them to defend their client.
The special restrictions are known as "SAMs," and are typically used in terrorism or other high profile cases.
They are put into effect when officials are worried about the defendant's communications or contacts with people "could result in death or serious bodily injury" to others.
This isn’t the first time these kinds of restrictions have been used.
Shoe bomber suspect Richard Reid, the man known as the "American Taliban" John Walker Lindh, and others have had the same treatment.
The rules cut back on the prisoner’s access to mail, phones, the media, and visitors.
The claim from Tsarnaev’s lawyers says the government hasn’t proven any of the special restrictions are needed in the case of Tsarnaev.
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/BY5Q5EUP55A3NBU6AQNWFJQCO4.jpg)
Sign Up
