ure ▁Vict im ▁Prote ction ▁Act ▁of ▁ 1 9 9 1 " ▁and ▁" U . S . ▁officials ▁repeatedly ▁threatened ▁Mr . ▁Mes hal ▁with ▁tort ure , ▁forced ▁disapp earance , ▁and ▁other ▁serious ▁harm ". ▁ ▁Court ▁dec isions ▁▁ ▁Mes hal ▁file d ▁a ▁legal ▁action ▁for ▁viol ation ▁of ▁his ▁rights ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 9 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁a ▁lower ▁court ▁dismiss ed ▁the ▁case . ▁ ▁On ▁October ▁ 2 3 , ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Court ▁of ▁App e als ▁for ▁the ▁District ▁of ▁Columbia ▁Circ uit ▁u ph eld ▁the ▁lower ▁court ▁decision , ▁( with ▁a ▁D issent ing ▁opinion ▁file d ▁by ▁Circ uit ▁Judge ▁P ill ard .). ▁ ▁The ▁r uling ▁said ▁that ▁Am ir ▁Mes hal ' s ▁alleg ations ▁of ▁ab use ▁were ▁" qu ite ▁trou bling ," ▁but ▁stated ▁that ▁he ▁is ▁unable ▁to ▁purs ue ▁claims ▁that ▁agents ▁viol ated ▁his ▁constitution al ▁rights ▁because ▁the ▁events ▁took ▁place ▁over se as ▁during ▁a ▁terror ism ▁investigation . ▁ ▁The ▁court ▁stated : ▁" Mat ters ▁touch ing ▁on ▁national ▁security ▁and ▁foreign ▁policy ▁fall ▁within ▁an ▁area ▁of ▁executive ▁action ▁where ▁courts ▁hes itate ▁to ▁intr ude ▁absent ▁con gression al ▁authorization ." ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁Times , ▁Patrick ▁G . ▁Edd ington ▁con cludes ▁" Mr . ▁Mes hal ▁has ▁fallen ▁into ▁a ▁legal ▁black ▁hole ,