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Boston bomber suing government over confiscation of ballcap, limits on showers

January 8th, 2021

The Boston Marathon bomber is suing the federal government for hundreds of thousands of dollars over confiscation of a baseball cap and limited showers at the prison where he’s serving a life sentence.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 26, who was sentenced to death for the 2013 bombing that killed three people and injured more than 260 near the race’s finish line, is demanding $250,000 in the handwritten suit filed Monday.

Seventeen victims lost limbs as a result of two pressure-cooker bombs exploding April 15, 2013.

Tsarnaev's lawsuit accuses the government of "unlawful, unreasonable and discriminatory" treatment of him. His death sentence was overturned by an appeals court to life in prison over a question about jury selection. The decision has been appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

He cited the confiscation of a white baseball cap and a bandana and a limit of three showers a week as part of his alleged mistreatment that he claimed was contributing to his "mental and physical decline."

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The lawsuit has been assigned to a judge, according to court records. The judge said Tuesday the filing is deficient because it does not include a "certified copy of prisoner’s trust fund statement" and a $402 filing fee.

An email seeking comment was left Thursday with the federal Bureau of Prisons, The Associated Press reported.

Tsarnaev wrote that his hat was taken because he was told it was "disrespectful" to wear a baseball cap similar to one he was seen wearing in surveillance footage during the investigation.

Investigators referred to Tsarnaev as "White Hat" before he was identified because of footage showing him leaving the scene wearing a white cap.

Tsarnaev's older brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, was killed in a shootout with police three days later after the bombing.

Curated By

Silas Vane
Senior CIA Operative/Intelligence Officer | National Security Analyst | Foreign Affairs Correspondent/Senior International Reporter | Strategic Intelligence Consultant
Silas Vane brings three decades of intelligence expertise to bear on today's most pressing geopolitical realities. A former senior operative with extensive field experience, Silas approaches journalism through the unvarnished lens of Realpolitik, where national interest trumps sentiment, and sovereignty matters more than social media trends. His analysis cuts through cultural noise to expose the underlying power structures shaping our world. While others chase viral stories, Silas examines what truly threatens or strengthens nations. His perspective may be unwelcome in fashionable circles, but it remains indispensable for those who prefer strategic clarity over diplomatic euphemisms. Drawing from classified insights and boots-on-the-ground reality, his commentaries prioritize substance over style, security over sensitivity, and eternal vigilance over naive optimism. In an era of manufactured crises and performative outrage, Silas offers readers what they need: unflinching assessments of where power truly lies, who wields it, and what it means for America's place in an increasingly dangerous world. His work demands attention not because it aligns with popular opinion, but because ignoring hard truths rarely produces favorable outcomes. For those seeking comfort over competence, look elsewhere, Silas speaks only to those prepared to face inconvenient realities.

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