Obama appeals to Supreme Court to overturn order to release torture photos

The Obama administration has asked the Supreme Court to overturn a lower court ruling for the release of photos of abuse at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. -DB

Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press

August 10, 2009

By Corinna Zarek

The Obama administration formally asked the U.S. Supreme Court Friday to overturn a lower court decision requiring the relase of the controversial “torture photos” — images depicting abuse at Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison.

Last September, the Second Circuit court of appeals rejected the government’s assertions that the images are exempt from the Freedom of Information Act stating the government failed to “identify at least one individual with reasonable specificity” whose life or safety may be endangered by their release.

The Reporters Committee plans to file a friend-of-the-court brief asking the Supreme Court to let the previous rulings stand.

Copyright 2009 Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press