[JURIST] A federal judge Wednesday rejected the US government's argument that revealing the names of hundreds of Guantanamo Bay [JURIST news archive] detainees violates their privacy, and remanded the case for further consideration on whether to actually release the names. The lawsuit was filed against the US Department of Defense [official website] under the Freedom of Information Act [text] by the Associated Press (AP) [media website] in an attempt to make public government documents related to military hearings for Guantanamo Bay detainees. The government has revealed the transcripts of 558 tribunals, but has declined to reveal facts about the detainees' identities, citing fear of retaliation by terrorist groups. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff denied the Department of Defense's motion, saying the government failed to provide "anything but thin and conclusory speculation to support its claims of possible retaliation." The AP's general counsel Dave Tomlin was pleased with the decision, saying, "Many of these detainees are begging for the world to know where they are...The court was right to reject the government's pose as guardian of privacy rights when what it's really guarding is its own secrecy." AP has more.

Previously in JURIST's Paper Chase...

• Federal judge says Pentagon must act to reveal names of Gitmo detainees
• Judge says Gitmo detainees must be asked for permission to release names
• AP: Documents detail Gitmo detainees' claims of abuses and inaction