Lynndie England faces court-martial in Iraq prison scandal

10.45am

MIAMI - A US soldier photographed holding a naked Iraqi prisoner on a leash will face court-martial on 19 charges that include sexually abusing and assaulting detainees at the Abu Ghraib prison, the Army said on Monday.

Private first class Lynndie England, the pregnant 21-year-old soldier who became the public symbol of the prison scandal that shocked world opinion and hurt US efforts to stabilise Iraq, could face up to 38 years in prison if convicted by the military court.

She also could face forfeiture of pay and a dishonourable discharge from the military, officials at the Fort Bragg Army base in North Carolina said.

The base commander, Lt. Gen. John Vines, referred the charges for trial after reviewing evidence from an August hearing.

England, an Army reservist stationed at Fort Bragg, was shown in infamous photographs holding a nude Iraqi prisoner by a leash, smiling and pointing at a hooded prisoner's genitals and posing behind a pyramid of naked Iraqis.

She was arraigned on Friday at Fort Bragg but deferred entering a plea. Vines set a pretrial hearing for December 1-3 at Fort Bragg, and scheduled England's trial for January 17-28.

England's lawyer could not immediately be reached for comment.

Charges against England include conspiring to commit cruelty and maltreatment of a prisoner, assaulting prisoners, violating discipline and good order, and committing indecent acts with soldiers and prisoners.

England is a personnel clerk with the 372nd Military Police Company and one of seven soldiers accused of abusing Iraqis held at the Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad.

Her defence lawyers argued at the August hearing that England acted on orders to "soften up" the prisoners for interrogation.

A military judge who recommended the court-martial described England as easily led and heavily influenced by another soldier charged in the case, Cpl. Charles Graner. Investigators said England identified Graner as the father of her child, due next month

- REUTERS

Herald Feature: Iraq