Justice Department attorneys by Dec. 12 will have to list the Obama administration's justification for keeping redacted versions of torture photos concealed from the public, instructed by Judge Alvin Hellerstein. The release of any of these photos of Iraq and Afghanistan detainees will come after the judge reviews the government's reasoning.

SEE ALSO: President Obama Appoints Ebola Czar

There are as many as 2,100 photos of detainee abuse published; the government has not confirmed the precise number. These pictures are the subject of a transparency lawsuit that the Obama administration, as well as the Bush administration and Congress, have resisted.

Read more on The Guardian.

Reach Web Producer Belinda Cai here and follow her on Twitter here.