/ 16 April 2009

Sentencing looms in US soldier’s courts-martial

A US Army master sergeant convicted of murder in the 2007 killings of four bound and blindfolded Iraqis will be sentenced on Thursday.

A US Army master sergeant convicted of murder in the 2007 killings of four bound and blindfolded Iraqis will be sentenced on Thursday and could receive life in prison without parole.

Master Sergeant John Hatley was convicted of premeditated murder and conspiracy in the execution-style killings.

But the jury of eight officers and non-commissioned officers on Wednesday found him not guilty of obstruction of justice in the incident and not guilty of premeditated murder in the January 2007 death of an Iraqi insurgent.

Hatley faces a possible sentence of life in prison, but is likely to receive parole and a lesser sentence. He also could see his punishment reduced further through an appeal or other future army clemency.

According to testimony this week and at previous courts-martial, four Iraqis were taken into custody in spring 2007 after an exchange of fire with Hatley’s unit and finding weapons in a building where suspects had fled.

David Court, the lawyer for Hatley, said there was no physical evidence that anyone was shot or killed. The bodies of the victims have never been found.

Court has argued that army prosecutors are basing their case on assumptions and conflicting testimony from this week and other courts-martial.

Previous courts-martial related to the incident resulted in murder convictions of two other soldiers. — Sapa-AP