Fed. Appeals Court Orders Pentagon to Turn Over Detainee Abuse Photos

By Jeralyn, Section Terror Detainees
Posted on Mon Sep 22, 2008 at 03:54:57 PM EST
Tags: Detainees, CIA, torture (all tags)

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The ACLU scored a victory today in the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.

A federal court today ordered the Department of Defense to release photographs depicting the abuse of detainees by U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit rejected the government's appeal of a 2006 order directing the Defense Department to release the photos. Today's decision comes as part of an American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit seeking information on the abuse of prisoners held in U.S. custody overseas.

The ACLU says these photos demonstrate that the abuse was not limited to Abu Ghraib and not an occasional aberration. [More...]

"These photographs demonstrate that the abuse of prisoners held in U.S. custody abroad was not aberrational and not confined to Abu Ghraib, but the result of policies adopted by high-ranking officials. Their release is critical for bringing an end to the administration's torture policies and for deterring further prisoner abuse."

The opinion is here (pdf).

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Fed. Appeals Court Orders Pentagon to Turn Over Detainee Abuse Photos | 3 comments (3 topical)

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i fear the release will not happen (none / 0) (#1)
by wystler on Mon Sep 22, 2008 at 04:05:28 PM EST

looking on word for cert from Scalia or Thomas really soon.

Accountability (none / 0) (#2)
by mmc9431 on Mon Sep 22, 2008 at 04:38:12 PM EST

It's good to hear rulings like this and the one last week on Cheney. Congress has been a failure on reigning in any of these abuses. The courts are the last resort for any accountability.

purpose? (none / 0) (#3)
by diogenes on Tue Sep 23, 2008 at 11:05:27 AM EST

Releasing these photos will mean that they will go on the internet and be recruiting material for our enemies. What good will they do anyone; how will they stop future abuse or bring perpetrators of abuse to justice? All the release will do is prove to people that they shouldn't takes photos of anything.