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lawyers for john walker lindh the american captured alongside anti forces afghanistan claimed tuesday that the year old was treated harshly highly coercive conditions his captors after being abused forces friendly the united states federal grand jury indicted lindh criminal charges tuesday his lawyers filed unusual statement with the court that offered harrowing account lindh treatment after was captured november near mazar sharif following what his lawyers said was mile trek through mountains with little food water the statement signed george harris one several lawyers representing lindh was part attempt win lindh release bail said that lindh who converted islam his teens narrowly escaped death the hands backed anti taliban forces during uprising the qala jangi fortress later his lawyers said that lindh was abused his captors who bound him stretcher with heavy tape placed him windowless metal container gave him little food medical attention and refused allow him speak with lawyer but their statement provided details lindh activities afghanistan any explanations for his motives for being there news conference attorney general john ashcroft expressed little sympathy for lindh the united states country that cherishes religious tolerance political democracy and equality between men and women ashcroft said his own account john walker lindh allied himself with terrorists who reject these values the charges against lindh accuse him training fight with osama bin laden terror network and then conspiring with the taliban kill americans afghanistan john walker lindh choose train with qaida choose fight with the taliban chose led osama bin laden ashcroft said the reasons for his choices may never fully known but the fact these choices clear the statement lindh lawyers filed said that was with other prisoners dank basement while under arrest anti taliban troops commanded gen abdul rashid dostum during the uprising fellow prisoners those troops threw grenades and fired rockets down ventilator shafts killing prisoners below one point dostum forces poured oil and diesel fuel down duct into the basement they lit the fuel and the fire killed many prisoners the statement said the end week the anti taliban troops poured ice water through the ducts into the basement the water rose lindh was able stand with the help other prisoners avoid drowning the lawyers statement said around lindh other prisoners who could not stand were drowned the lawyers said the government had produced nothing that showed had engaged any violent acts there are allegations and evidence that ever much fired shot even northern alliance soldiers none the charges against lindh would subject him the death penalty but convicted all the charges faces maximum sentence three life terms plus additional year and year terms prison would not eligible for early release any the counts lindh was first charged jan six count criminal complaint that was superseded tuesday indictment which included four fresh charges aiding the taliban and qaida the charges were brought alexandria suburb washington where lindh will tried district court being held county jail near the courthouse under heavy security story can end here optional material follows lindh faces hearing wednesday his request for bail and scheduled arraigned monday before judge ellis has not entered plea but his father frank lindh has said innocent tuesday indictment had been expected under federal rules prosecutors were required replace the complaint with indictment avoid preliminary hearing which had been scheduled for wednesday lindh still scheduled appear federal court but the hearing before magistrate curtis sewell will consider only the issue whether lindh should released bail until his trial lindh lawyers said tuesday filing that should released into the custody his father the defense team said that lindh was not flight risk and that did not represent danger others moreover the defense lawyers said there was evidence that lindh played any part the prison riot captured taliban and qaida fighters that resulted the death johnny micheal spann central intelligence agency officer the uprising even according the facts alleged the affidavit however the only services ever provided lindh were foot soldier for the taliban the lawyers filing said the indictment described lindh committed taliban fighter said said that may june last year lindh agreed travel one qaida training camps knowing that america and its citizens were the enemies bin laden and qaida and that principal purpose qaida was fight and kill americans after the sept attacks the indictment said lindh remained with his taliban unit despite having been told that bin laden had ordered the attacks that additional terrorist attacks were planned and that additional qaida personnel were being sent from training camps the front lines protect bin laden and defend against anticipated military response from the united states the indictment repeated much the information which the earlier charges were based most that information those accusations came from statements that lindh made fbi agents interviews dec and afghanistan tuesday lindh lawyers attacked the legality the interviews saying they had been conducted under highly coercive conditions after eight days harsh confinement freezing weather but ashcroft and other justice department officials have said that lindh voluntarily answered questions and signed agreement waiving his right lawyer during the interviews each step this process ashcroft said walker lindh rights including his rights not incriminate himself and represented counsel have been carefully scrupulously honored