Amnesty accuses US of mistreating interned

Human rights group Amnesty International has said that many of the 603 people interned without trial in the US as part of a crackdown on alleged "terrorists" have been mistreated while in custody.

"Amnesty is concerned that many of those detained during the September 11 sweeps are held in harsh conditions, some of which may violate international standards for humane treatment," the group said in a report to US Attorney General John Ashcroft.

Mr Ashcroft has confirmed that the US government is still holding 603 people who were arrested in the days after September 11 on suspicion of having links to "terrorism".

Until yesterday, the US had refused to reveal any details of the number and identities of people it had interned following the attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon.

However, Mr Ashcroft confirmed yesterday that 55 people are still in custody on federal criminal charges and 548 for alleged immigration violations. Amnesty International urged the attorney general to guarantee that these people are kept safe and treated well.