New York City ? The American Civil Liberties Union urged a federal appeals court Monday to allow the release of disturbing pictures of detainee abuse despite the Obama administration’s stance that the images could incite violence in Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

In papers filed Monday with the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan, the ACLU noted that the appeals court and a district judge had already rejected government arguments that the photographs could lead to violence and generate propaganda.

The Obama administration last week asked the court to override its own mandate and keep the pictures secret, saying they pose “a clear and grave risk of inciting violence and riots against American and coalition forces, as well as civilian personnel, serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.”