Legal Battle Persists to Get Remaining Abuse Photos From Pentagon - ACLU

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) will continue to apply legal pressure on the US government until the Pentagon surrenders all remaining images related to the abuse of detainees in Iraq and Afghanistan, the group’s spokesperson Josh Bell told Sputnik.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — On Friday, the US Department of Defense made public 198 photographs documenting the mistreatment of prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan from 2002 to 2006. The Pentagon, however, refused to release about 1,800 photos, citing national security concerns.

"We’re continuing to pursue our FOIA [Freedom of Information Act] case in court to get the rest of the photos," Bell stated on Monday when asked how the ACLU planned on wrenching the remaining prison abuse photos away from the Pentagon.

The pictures, which show bruises, wounds and injuries of the detained people, were released on Friday under the FOIA lawsuit filed by the ACLU in 2004.

Shortly after Friday’s release, ACLU Deputy Legal Director Jameel Jaffer said the US government’s "selective disclosure" of the photographs and decision to withhold so many could mislead the public about the true extent of the mistreatment of prisoners.

The US government repeatedly stated that the release of the photographs may trigger attacks against US forces.