In case you missed it in May, the federal government barred photographs of detainee abuse from release, saying that release of the photos would endanger American lives. The photos would have been brought to light through a FOIA filed by the ACLU.  The Supreme Court will likely hear an appeal on the issue from the Department of Justice next month, ultimately deciding whether release of the photos would endanger lives.  The ACLU continues to advocate for the release of the photos.  Knowing what our government does is paramount to holding the government accountable to the Constitution and Bill of Rights.

 

In the torture case, FOIA has been the primary tool used to bring the issue to light. FOIAs are useful tools in a variety of scenarios. Want to know what information the government has about you? Visit the ACLU’s new webspage, whatisfoia.org, and learn how to file a FOIA for yourself.