Friday, May 20 2005 10:42 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Houston: The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has sued a California County, alleging it violated the religious rights of a Sikh jail detainee by refusing to allow him to wear a turban.

Harpal Singh Cheema, a devout Sikh, imprisoned since 1997 while awaiting a decision on his asylum application, "feels debased and defiled" because he can't wear a turban or "other religious head covering away from his bed", the ACLU said.

"It is deeply troubling that a person seeking refuge from persecution can not only be locked up for years on end but also be deprived of the religious freedom he expected in America," said Robin Goldfaden, staff counsel with the ACLU Immigrants Rights Project.

Cheema, a human rights lawyer and a Sikh activist, has been jailed since 1997 awaiting a decision on his application for asylum. He has been held at the jail in Marysville, north of Sacramento, since September 2002.

The lawsuit filed on Wednesday (May 18, 2005) names Yuba County Sheriff Virginia Black and county jail officials, as well as officials with federal Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.

While the Sikh faith requires men to cover their heads at all times, Yuba County jail authorities did not permit Cheema to leave his bed with his head covered, it said.

"Confinement to bed should not be the price of complying with religious obligations," said Robin Goldfaden, staff counsel with the ACLU Immigrants' Rights Project.