On Friday afternoon, the Justice Department filed a petition with the Supreme Court asking it to overturn an appeals court decision requiring the Pentagon to disclose the photos, which depict abuse of prisoners in U.S. military custody in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In September 2008, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit upheld a district court decision requiring the photos to be released.

"The appeals court soundly rejected all of the government's arguments for withholding the photos, and it's unfortunate that the government has chosen to contest that decision," Amrit Singh, an ACLU attorney, said in a statement e-mailed to reporters. "These photos would provide visual proof that prisoner abuse by U.S. personnel was not aberrational but widespread, reaching far beyond the walls of Abu Ghraib. As disturbing as the photos may be, it is critical that the American people know the full truth about the abuse that occurred in their name."