US soldier's abuse hearing goes ahead

An unscheduled hearing was being held today in the case of a US soldier in the Abu Ghraib prison scandal, whose civilian lawyer had said yesterday that he wanted to represent him by telephone.

There was no immediate explanation for the pre-trial hearing against Staff Sgt Ivan “Chip” Frederick II, which came only one day after a military judge postponed the case.

Frederick had refused to waive his right to co-counsel.

The session had been postponed after Frederick’s civilian lawyer, Gary Myers, did not appear.

Military lawyer Captain Robert Shuck, said Myers wanted to participate by telephone because coming to Iraq “places people in peril for their lives”.

The judge, Colonel James Pohl, angrily dismissed the suggestion, saying that he had received and denied a previous e-mail request from Myers to take part by phone.

The hearing had been postponed until July 23, but Major Carolyn Dysart said it was now being held today.

She offered no immediate reason for the change.

Frederick is one of seven soldiers accused of mistreating prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison, the grim facility west of Baghdad.