Ramirez, left, Stone and Gonzalez  ALSO: The Geneva Conventions: Prisoners of war NATO bombs hit TV transmission site Albanian Americans prepare for Kosovar relatives Pentagon to request reservist call-up  MESSAGE BOARD: Crisis in Kosovo

GENEVA, Switzerland (CNN) -- Three U.S. soldiers, captured by Yugoslav forces nearly a month ago and not seen in public since, received their first medical checkup Tuesday from a Red Cross doctor who found them in "satisfactory condition."

"Our doctor was able to examine them...They are in satisfactory condition," said Suzanne Berger, a spokeswoman for the Geneva-based International Committee of the Red Cross.

She said a two-person ICRC delegation had interviewed the three captives privately in Belgrade, but declined to give further details.

White House sources told CNN the medical visit lasted 40 minutes and that the Red Cross doctor who examined the infantrymen found them to be in "decent shape."

Another ICRC spokesman, Chris Bowers, told CNN the men gave messages to the Red Cross that will be relayed "immediately ... straight to their families."

On Monday, ICRC President Cornelio Sommaruga headed a delegation that spent about 15 minutes with the three prisoners of war. There was no doctor along to provide a medical evaluation during that visit but Pentagon officials said Monday they were told the three servicemen were in "reasonably good" shape.

Shortly after their March 31 capture near the Macedonia border, the three soldiers were shown on Serb TV with cuts and bruised faces.

Until Monday, the ICRC had been denied access to the soldiers: Staff Sgt. Andrew Ramirez, 24, of Los Angeles; Spc. Steven Gonzalez, 21, of Huntsville, Texas; and Staff Sgt. Christopher Stone, 25, of Smiths Creek, Michigan.

The United States has accused Yugoslavia of denying the soldiers their rights under the Geneva Conventions, which recognize the right of the ICRC to visit prisoners of war.

Yugoslav officials were present for Monday's meeting. Bowers said the Red Cross visit on Tuesday was private, in accordance with the Geneva Conventions, which also require that the ICRC have regular access to POWs.

"The Yugoslav authorities are obliged to do that," Bowers said.

Asked about the chances of Yugoslavia releasing the three soldiers, he said the Belgrade government has "no legal obligation to do so until the fighting stops."

"According to the Geneva Conventions, which govern the rules of war ... the Yugoslav authorities are entirely within their rights to hold them until the end of hostilities."

Correspondents John King and Brent Sadler contributed to this report.

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