| freedom 2003-06-17 |
| The names of hundreds of people detained since the 11 September attacks can be kept secret, a US federal appeals court has ruled.
The decision overturns a federal court ruling that the names of those detained as part of anti-terrorism efforts since the 2001 attacks should be made public. More than 20 civil liberties groups had argued that their names should be disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act. But the appeals court backed the US Justice Department who said such information would play into the hands of terrorist groups. Two of the three judges on the panel agreed that the government could keep secret the "dates and locations of arrests, detention and release of all detainees" as well as the names of lawyers representing suspects. |
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