Judge orders U.S. to release photos of detainee abuse
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 22 March 2015 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Judge orders U.S. to release photos of detainee abuse, 22 March 2015, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/552f9d8c15.html [accessed 1 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
March 22, 2015
A federal judge had ordered the government of the United States to release photographs showing the abuse of detainees in Iraq and other sites.
U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein of the Southern District of New York granted the government 60 days to appeal.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has been seeking to make the photographs public in the name of holding the government accountable.
"The photos are crucial to the public record," ACLU deputy legal director Jameel Jaffer said in a news release.
Jaffer added that their disclosure would help the public better understand the implications of some of the policies of the previous U.S. administration.
It is not clear how many photos are involved and where they were taken.
The fight over the photographs reaches back to the early years of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2004, images of abuse of detainees by American soldiers at the notorious Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq led to international outrage.
Based on reporting by AP, Reuters, and CNN
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
