U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton...

"Obviously this is a matter for the Haitian judicial system," the channel quoted Clinton as saying.

"We"re going to continue to provide support as we do in every instance like this to American citizens who have been charged and hope that this matter can be resolved in an expeditious way, but it is something that a sovereign nation is pursuing based on the evidence that it presented when the charges were announced," she said.

A judge did not rule out the missionaries" petition for bail, however, under the country"s law people charged with kidnapping are not eligible for bail.

State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley confirmed that the U.S. had no discussions with Haitian authorities "about shifting prosecution to the United States."

"This is a Haitian legal process. Obviously the 10 American citizens have been charged under Haitian law," he said.

Last week the police said the group of Baptists from the Idaho-based charity called New Life Children

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