The secret government photos of the slain al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden will remain secret, it was determined on Tuesday.
The Federal Court of Appeals upheld the government's initial refusal to make the photos and videos of the mission public. The items were taken after bin Laden was killed in a raid by Navy Seals in Pakistan two years ago.
The appeals court rejected a Freedom of Information request by the group called Judicial Watch.
The court supported the government's argument that releasing the images could result in attacks on Americans - both abroad and by fueling further terrorist activity within the United States.
"It is undisputed that the government is withholding the images not to shield wrongdoing or avoid embarrassment, but rather to prevent the killing of Americans and violence against American interests," Judges Merrick B. Garland, Judith W. Rogers and Harry T. Edwards said in a statement.
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