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

Meanwhile, 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 almost five years, an appeals court has ruled.

Key points

• Bergdahl, then a 23-year-old soldier from Hailey, Idaho, was stationed in eastern Afghanistan's Paktika province in June 2009 when he left his post without permission.
• The panel remarked District Judge Reggie Walton, sitting in Washington, DC, lacked the jurisdiction to vacate Bergdahl's court-martial conviction and sentence in 2023.
• Bergdahl had sued in civilian court in 2021, arguing that the military punishment violated his Fifth Amendment due-process rights.
• 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 accord – which freed five Taliban prisoners from the Guantanamo Bay detention facility – was sharply criticised by some conservatives, including Donald Trump.

For context, 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.

Meanwhile, the panel remarked District Judge Reggie Walton, sitting in Washington, DC, lacked the jurisdiction to vacate Bergdahl's court-martial conviction and sentence in 2023.

Bergdahl had sued in civilian court in 2021, arguing that the military punishment violated his Fifth Amendment due-process rights. Walton ruled that military judge Jeffrey Nance created a potential conflict of interest by failing to disclose his application for a position as an immigration judge in the US Department of Justice.

But the appeals court concluded that only a court of appeals within the military justice system has the authority to overturn a court-martial judgement.

"Because Bergdahl seeks to have his court-martial conviction declared expunged and without effect due to violations of the Constitution and military rules, and its consequences reversed, he effectively asked the District Court to vacate the military judgment, " Circuit Judge Robert Wilkins wrote. "However, the authority to vacate a court-martial judgment belongs to tribunals exercising direct appellate review, not district courts conducting collateral review."

Bergdahl, then a 23-year-old soldier from Hailey, Idaho, was stationed in eastern Afghanistan's Paktika province in June 2009 when he left his post without permission. His defence team remarked he left to hike to headquarters to complain concerning what he viewed as poor leadership in his unit.

Bergdahl was captured by forces from the Taliban-affiliated Haqqani Network and repeatedly tortured before his release from captivity in 2014 as part of a prisoner swap under then-President Barack Obama.

Meanwhile, the accord – which freed five Taliban prisoners from the Guantanamo Bay detention facility – was sharply criticised by some conservatives, including Donald Trump. This person would be elected president two years afterwards.

In 2015 during his campaign, Trump pressed the death penalty for Bergdahl. He additionally criticised the decision to spare him jail time, calling it a "disgrace" to the country.

For context, a number of US service members were wounded during the search for Bergdahl. This person was charged with desertion and misbehaviour before the enemy after his release from captivity. He pleaded guilty to both charges in 2017 and was dishonourably discharged. Prosecutors at his court martial had sought 14 years in prison.

Taken together, the developments around dismissal of ex-US soldier Bergdahl's conviction was invalid, court rules point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.