Robert Bales’ Lawyer: “U.S. Blocks Investigation of Afghan Massacre”

Robert Bales’ Lawyer: “U.S. Blocks Investigation of Afghan Massacre”

John Henry Browne, the lawyer defending Staff Sergeant Robert Bales, the U.S. soldier accused of killing 17 Afghan civilians, claims U.S. authorities are hindering his ability his investigations about the incident.

"When prosecutors don't cooperate, it's because they are concerned about the strength of their case," said Browne at a press conference at his Seattle office on Friday.

Last week, Bales was formally charged with the murders of eight adults and nine children in a shooting rampage in southern Afghanistan on March 11, which further tainted U.S.-Afghan relations.  Bales could face the death penalty if convicted.

The exact date for a trial has not been determined, but U.S. military prosecutors are preparing for their case while Browne is preparing his defense.

According to Browne, he has deployed an investigating team in Afghanistan now; however, they are having problems regarding cooperation from military prosecutors who filed the charges.

"We are facing an almost complete information blackout from the government, which is having a devastating effect on our ability to investigate the charges preferred against our client," he said in a statement released earlier on Friday.

A recent report suggests Afghan villagers doubt Bales acted on his own, while some reports suggest Bales left his camp twice during the night.

"I don't believe that's the case, but we don't know for sure at this point," Browne said on Friday.

The lawyer said his investigators had spoken to U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan but had not managed to contact any witnesses yet.

Posted by James Fried on Sunday April 01 2012, 8:50 AM EST. Ref: CNN. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, World. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0