US Army officer, interrogator facing Afghan detainee abuse hearings News
US Army officer, interrogator facing Afghan detainee abuse hearings

[JURIST] An Article 32 hearing [JAG backgrounder; UCMJ text] will begin next Monday for a US Army captain to determine if he should face a court martial on charges that he poorly supervised military police officers guarding suspected terrorists at the US-run Bagram detention center in Afghanistan [JURIST news archive]. Army investigators say that Capt. Christopher Beiring failed to properly train the MPs which resulted in the 2002 beating deaths of two detainees [US Army press release; JURIST report] and the assaults of numerous others. Prosecutors also allege that Beiring lied about giving "sustainment training" to the soldiers after their shifts. Ten soldiers who served under Beiring have faced criminal charges, but charges against two were dropped and three were acquitted [JURIST report]. Three others were convicted [JURIST report] or pleaded guilty [JURIST report] and two are pending trials. The Article 32 hearing is similar to a civilian grand jury and Beiring's is expected to last three days. A hearing will also begin Tuesday for military intelligence interrogator Pfc. Damien Corsetti who faces abuse charges for throwing garbage and cigarette ashes, threatening sexual assault, and sitting on prisoners during interrogating sessions. AP has more.