A Yemeni inmate at Guantanamo Bay has introduced a landmark lawsuit challenging the practice of force-feeding at the US military prison camp. The case represents the first time a US court will hear allegations of detainee abuse at Gitmo.

The plaintiff, Emad Abdullah Hassan, says he has been force-fed more than 5,000 times since 2007 as part of the military’s efforts to break his hunger strike, the UK-based human rights organization Reprieve said Tuesday, citing court documents. The 34-year old has been held at Guantánamo Bay since 2002 without charge and is said to be gravely ill.

“All I want is what President Obama promised – my liberty, and fair treatment for others. I have been cleared for five years, and I have been force-fed for seven years. This is not a life worth living, it is a life of constant pain and suffering. While I do not want to die, it is surely my right to protest peacefully without being degraded and abused every day.”

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