Afghanistan cuts sentences

for jailed U.S. Mercenaries

3/31/2005 5:30:00 PM GMT

An Afghan court has shortened prison sentences of three Americans jailed last year for running a private prison and torturing Afghan detainees.

At a closed-door session, the Afghan court upheld the three men’s convictions for torture and operating a private jail, one of four judges hearing the case, Abdul Latif, told reporteres.

But the three Mercenaries failed to overturn their convictions, said a judge.

Jonathan Idema, Brent Bennett and Edward Caraballo were jailed last September after a trial that embarrassed U.S. and NATO forces and exposed the clandestine U.S. operations in Afghanistan.

The three Americans, all civilians, were on a freelance hunt for “terrorists” in and around Kabul before they were arrested last year.

Two of the men, Jonathan Idema and Brent Bennett, are former U.S. soldiers. The third, Edward Caraballo, is a journalist.

The three were arrested in July while holding eight Afghans in a makeshift prison in Kabul. At that time they affirmed that they were operating in concert with top U.S. officials.

However, the U.S. officials denied having any links to the three men. But during his trial, Idema, the ringleader, asserted that those officials were lying.

"We are prepared to show e-mails and correspondence and tape recorded conversations that show that is not true," he said.

Later, it was revealed that the U.S. forces cooperated with the three men. However the U.S. army denied ever directing or condoning its activities, and accused Idema and the other two of deceit.

Idema and Bennett's ten-year sentences were cut in half, while Caraballo's was reduced from eight years to two.

The men will serve out their terms in Afghan prisons.

Judge Latif said that the three appealed to the supreme court as their last recourse.


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