No. 19-71

In the Supreme Court of the United States

________________________

FNU T

 ANZIN

,

 ET AL

., P

ETITIONERS

v.

M

UHAMMAD

 T

 ANVIR

,

 ET AL

. _____________ 

ON PETITION FOR WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE SECOND CIRCUIT 

 ________________________ 

BRIEF FOR RESPONDENTS IN OPPOSITION

 ________________________ 

R

 AMZI

 K 

 ASSEM

Counsel of Record

N

 AZ

 A 

HMAD

CLEAR ProjectMain Street Legal Services,Inc.City University of New York School of Law2 Court SquareLong Island City, NY 11101(718) 340-4558

ramzi.kassem@law.cuny.edu

S

HAYANA 

 K 

 ADIDAL

D

IALA 

 S

HAMAS

B

 AHER

 A 

ZMY 

Center for ConstitutionalRights666 Broadway, 7th FloorNew York, NY 10012J

ENNIFER

 R.C

OWAN

E

ROL

 G

ULAY 

S

 ANDY 

 T

OMASIK 

W

ILLIAM

 C. M

 ATTESSICH

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP919 Third AvenueNew York, NY 10022

 

i

QUESTION PRESENTED

Whether the Religious Freedom Restoration Actof 1993, 42 U.S.C. § 2000bb

 et seq.

, permits claimsseeking money damages against federal governmentofficials, agents, and employees sued in their indi-vidual capacities for violations of the law’s substan-tive protections of religious belief.

 

ii

PARTIES TO THE PROCEEDINGS

Petitioners were defendants in the district courtand appellees in the court of appeals. They are FNUTanzin, Sanya Garcia, John LNU, Francisco Artusa,John C. Harley III, Steven LNU, Michael LNU, andGregg Grossoehmig, Special Agents of the FederalBureau of Investigation (FBI); Weysan Dun, Special Agent in Charge, FBI; James C. Langenberg, Assis-tant Special Agent in Charge, FBI; and five John DoeSpecial Agents, FBI.Respondents are Muhammad Tanvir, Jameel Al-gibhah, and Naveed Shinwari, who were plaintiffs inthe district court and appellants in the court of ap-peals.

1

1

 Awais Sajjad was a plaintiff in the district court but did notappear in the court of appeals.

 See

 App. 1a, 62a.