Washington, June 18: A US court here overturned yesterday a lower court order and ruled that the US government could keep secret the identity of suspects detained after the September 11 terror attacks. Human rights groups and civil libertarians have protested vigorously against the ruling and it is likely that the matter will be taken to the Supreme Court, human rights watch said in a statement from New York.
Under today's 2-1 decision by the court of appeals, the Justice Department will not have to release the names of and other information about the hundreds it arrested on immigration charges and material witness warrants in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks.
Plaintiffs, including human rights watch, sought release of their names under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The court ruled that all of the information sought was statutorily exempt from disclosure because it was information compiled for law enforcement purposes, and disclosure could reasonably be expected to interfere with enforcement proceedings.
The court said the government was entitled to withhold the dates and locations of the arrest, detention and release of all detainees, including those charged with federal crimes, as well as the names of counsel for detainees.
Hundreds of people, mainly Muslims, were arrested and held following the attacks on September 11, 2001.
Most of those held were detained under immigration regulations. Bureau Report