Charges against Bergdahl being referred for court-martial

The date of the arraignment hearing at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, will be announced at a later date, the U.S. Army Forces Command said in a statement on Monday.

The U.S. Army Forces Command’s Commanding General referred two charges today, December 14, in the case of United States vs. Sgt. Robert B. Bergdahl to a General Court-Martial.

“The convening authority did not follow the advice of the preliminary hearing officer who heard the witnesses”, Fidell said of Monday’s decision.

Bergdahl is facing a potential life term in prison after being charged in March with one count of desertion with intent to shirk important or hazardous duty and one count of misbehavior before the enemy. Gen. Kenneth R. Dahl, said a jail sentence for Bergdahl would be “inappropriate”.

Bergdahl left his post in eastern Afghanistan in 2009, resulting in nearly five years in Taliban captivity.

“I had hoped the case would not go in this direction”, defense attorney Eugene Fidell said in a statement. The deal to swap prisoners with the Taliban enraged McCain and other members of Congress who complained the administration violated requirements to inform lawmakers of any such transfer 30 days in advance. He was held by the Taliban for five years until his release in 2014.

Fidell also urged Republican presidential front runner Donald Trump, who has called Berghdal a traitor who should be executed, to butt out of the case.