Washington ? The Supreme Court ruled Monday that former Attorney General John Ashcroft and FBI Director Robert Mueller may not be sued by a Pakistani man who was seized in the United States after the 2001 terrorist attacks and who alleged harsh treatment because of his religion and ethnicity.

The court ruled 5 to 4 that the top officials were not liable for the allegedly discriminatory actions of their subordinates unless they had ordered the measures. The decision affects similar lawsuits filed by Arab Muslims picked up after the attacks, and the court split along familiar ideological lines. Justice Anthony Kennedy sided with the conservatives and wrote the opinion.