The US Supreme Court has ruled that FBI Director Robert Mueller and other senior government officials of the Bush administration cannot be prosecuted for the abuse of suspected terrorists at the hands of their subordinates.

Earlier, an appeals court had ruled that the senior officials were responsible for the abuse.

The case was brought by a Pakistani who was arrested for immigration violations soon after the 9/11 attacks. He spent six months in solitary confinement, during which time the light in his cell was kept burning night and day. He also said he was repeatedly forced to strip naked and subjected to verbal abuse.