The opening of the trial was postponed several times by a lengthy round of proceedings to deal with defence allegations of prosecutorial misconduct. He maintains fellow SEAL team members in his platoon, who turned him in and are testifying against him under grants of immunity, are disgruntled subordinates who fabricated allegations to force him from command. Gallagher has denied all the charges but could face life in prison if convicted in the trial arising from his 2017 deployment to Mosul, Iraq.

The platoon leader is also charged with attempted murder in the wounding of two civilians -a schoolgirl and an elderly man - shot from a sniper's perch in Iraq. 'This is about a group of mutinous sailors and a sham investigation.' 'Then he celebrated that stabbing, celebrated the murder, when he took photos and performed his re-enlistment ceremony over that body,' Pietrzyk said.ĭefence attorney Timothy Parlatore told the jury in his opening statement the prosecution cannot present a body or a crime scene and therefore has no case. Prosecutor Jeff Pietrzyk introduced a photo showing Gallagher holding the dead youth by the hair. Prosecutors say Gallagher, 39, who began his 18-year career as a medic, briefly treated the young ISIS fighter, then pulled out his knife and stabbed him in the neck several times. They must decide whether Ed Gallagher murdered a teenage ISIS fighter or is being framed by mutinying sailors he commanded and who are testifying against him. President Donald Trump.Ī jury of five marines and two navy members were chosen for the high-profile and politically charged court-martial proceedings, which began on Tuesday at the U.S. Naval Base in San Diego.

navy SEAL on charges of murdering a wounded Iraqi prisoner and shooting unarmed civilians, a war crimes case that has drawn the attention of U.S. Opening arguments began Tuesday in the trial of a U.S.

Navy seal war crimes iraq