In the first lawsuit of its kind, an Egyptian national seeks damages for being denied access to counsel and for his mistreatment by federal prison guards during two months of incarceration in Louisiana.

Arrested on Sept. 12, Hady Hassan Omar's "offense" was buying an airline ticket at the same Kinko's copying center as one of the 9/11 hijackers. He was released on Nov. 23, after it was determined he had no connection to terrorism. Married to a U.S. citizen, he was charged with overstaying his visa.

Omar's lawsuit alleges he was "subjected to numerous unnecessary body cavity searches, harassed and ridiculed by guards and was not allowed to pray or eat according to Islamic traditions. At one point... he was forced to urinate on himself because he was not able to use a bathroom."

Omar says the treatment he received over 73 days in detention amounted to torture. He is believed to be the first to formally accuse the Justice Department of maltreatment. His suit also names prison and immigration officials.