Up to 28 US soldiers face possible criminal charges in connection with the deaths of two prisoners at an American-run prison in Afghanistan two years ago, the Army announced last night.
The most serious potential charges include involuntary manslaughter and maiming, a statement said.
Its announcement marked completion of a nearly two-year-old investigation into the deaths. The Army's Criminal Investigation Division recommends various charges against the 28.
So far, only one person, a military police reservist, has actually been charged in connection the deaths. Sgt. James P. Boland of the Army Reserve's 377th Military Policy Company, based in Cincinnati, was charged on August 23rd with assault and dereliction of duty.
For the other 27, their commanding officers will make the final decision on whether they face a court-martial, administrative discipline or no disciplinary action.
The deaths, in early December 2002, were ruled homicides by US military medical examiners.
Others who are expected to face charges are from the 519th Military Intelligence Battalion from Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Some members of the 519th went from Afghanistan to Iraq in 2003 and are among those accused by Army investigators of abusing Iraqi detainees in the fall of 2003.
In the first case, Mullah Habibullah, believed to be about 28, died of "pulmonary embolism due to blunt force injuries to the legs," according to doctors. He was in detention at Bagram, Afghanistan. Previous reports said he died on December 3rd; the Army's announcement Thursday put his death as December 4th.
About a week later, on December 10th, an Afghan identified only as Dilawar (22), died in US custody at Bagram. Doctors blamed his death on "blunt force injuries to lower extremities complicating coronary artery disease."
AP