Military high court denies Graner appeal - Army News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Army Times

Military high court denies Graner appeal

WASHINGTON — The military’s highest court has denied an appeal by the alleged ringleader of detainee abuse at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq in 2003.

In a 4-1 decision Friday, the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces in Washington affirmed Army Pvt. Charles Graner’s convictions for offenses that included stacking naked prisoners into a pyramid.

The defense maintained Graner’s actions were intended to soften up prisoners for interrogation. His lawyers claimed they were wrongly denied access to classified documents indicating the treatment reflected harsh interrogation techniques approved by former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

Three judges found that the documents weren’t relevant, and a fourth said the appeal should be denied for other reasons.

Graner is serving a 10-year prison sentence.