The US military has said the court martials early next year of three US soldiers accused of Iraqi prisoner abuse in the Abu Ghraib scandal will move from Iraq to the United States.
The trials of Specialist Charles Graner, facing a maximum of 28 years in jail if found guilty; Sergeant Javal Davis; and Specialist Sabrina Harman would be held in Texas instead of a US base in Baghdad, it said.
No reason was given for the decision, but lawyers for the three military prison guards have pressed for the trials to be moved out of Iraq due to difficulties in transporting witnesses amid the uncertain security situation.
Images of US soldiers abusing Iraqi prisoners at the notorious detention centre on the outskirts of Baghdad sparked international outrage and brought shame on the US administration of George W. Bush.
But defence lawyers have painted portraits of their clients as low-ranking soldiers simply following orders from top brass, and falling victim to new get-tough measures employed by interrogators as part of the US-led "war on terror" in Afghanistan and Iraq.
They have demanded that senior officials up the chain of commend be summoned to appear as witnesses at the trials, including Colonel Thomas Pappas, the head of the 205th military intelligence brigade assigned to Abu Ghraib.
Col Pappas has been implicated in at least two Pentagon investigations for involvement in the scandal, although he has not been formally charged.
So far seven guards have been charged in the scandal. Last month, Staff Sergeant Ivan Frederick, the most senior US soldier charged, was sentanced to eight years in prison for his role in physical and sexual abuse of detainees.
Specialist James Sivits pleaded guilty in May and was sentenced to a year in prison. Specialist Armin Cruz of military intelligence was sentenced last month to eight months in prison.
Forty-five people have been referred for courts martial in connection with the Abu Ghraib scandal.
AFP
