Justice Department still fighting release of videotapes of Guantanamo force-feeding

The Justice Department is continuing its fight to block the release of videotapes that show Guantanamo prisoners being force-fed during a hunger strike. A federal judge had established a January 22 deadline for the release of the footage. The department is appealing the order for release fearing that it would “inflame Muslim sensitivities overseas.” (The Intercept, January 21, 2016, by Cora Currier)

Physicians for Human Rights said the Justice Department’s latest attempt to block disclosure deprived the public of their right to know the true nature of the “unlawful and unethical” force-feeding. (Common Dreams, January 22, 2016, press release)

Sixteeen news companies including the Associated Press and The New York Times had obtained a order for release in October of 2014 after which the Justice Department has been denied in their appeals to block the order.  Federal District Judge Gladys Kessler rejected the government’s argument that the tape’s release would “subject the U.S. government to criticism,” saying, “What the Government is really saying is that its classification system trumps the decisions of the federal courts as to the public’s access to official court records; in other words, the Executive Branch (in this case, the Military) purports to be a law unto itself.” (RT News, January 22, 2016)