Judge rules Afghan detainees can sue in US court

WASHINGTON, April 2 (Reuters) - A federal judge handed a defeat to the Obama administration with a ruling on Thursday that some of the detainees held at the U.S. military base in Afghanistan can sue in U.S. court to seek their release.

The Obama administration in February said in the case that it would follow the Bush administration's position that detainees held at the base in Bagram have no right to sue in federal court.

But U.S. District Judge John Bates rejected that argument and ruled three of the four detainees who brought the lawsuit can proceed with their legal challenge seeking their release.

"Bagram detainees who are not Afghan citizens, who were not captured in Afghanistan and who have been held for an unreasonable amount of time -- here over six years -- without adequate process" have the legal right to sue in U.S. court, the judge ruled in a 53-page opinion. (Reporting by James Vicini, Editing by Jackie Frank)