US denies Red Cross access to secret detainees News
US denies Red Cross access to secret detainees

[JURIST] The US said Friday that it would not allow the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) [official website] access to a limited number of detainees [JURIST news archive] who are held in secret locations around the world. It is the first time the US has admitted that it has not given the Red Cross access to all US detainees. Adam Ereli, the deputy spokesman for the State Department [official website], responded [press briefing transcript] to the ICRC request [JURIST report] to see all detainees saying certain terrorists [JURIST report] held by the US are not guaranteed any rights under the Geneva Conventions [ICRC materials]. Ereli noted that the ICRC has access to suspects in Guantanamo Bay [JURIST news archive], Afghanistan, and Iraq. Those that are denied visitors include a handful of top al-Qaida operatives kept in secret locations for what the US considers national security reasons. BBC News has more.