Dismissal of ex-US soldier Bergdahl’s conviction was invalid, court rules

Appeals panel says only military tribunals may assess court-martial convictions in blow to former Afghan war prisoner. A federal judge had no authority to overturn former US Army soldier Bowe Bergdahl’s military conviction for deserting his post in Afghanistan before Taliban-allied forces captured him and held him for nearly five years, an appeals court has ruled. A three-judge panel from the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Tuesday ordered the dismissal of Bergdahl’s claims in district court. The ruling essentially reinstates the ex-soldier’s conviction. The panel said District Judge Reggie Walton, sitting in Washington, DC, lacked the jurisdiction to vacate Bergdahl’s court-martial conviction and sentence in 2023.

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