Bowe Bergdahl Enters No Plea at Arraignment on Military Charges

Upon arraignment before a military court, US Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who allegedly fled his unit in Afghanistan before being held captive by the Taliban, did not enter a plea in the face of charges including desertion and misbehavior before the enemy.

Bergdahl answered “yes” and “no” to questions about whether he understood his rights and the court proceedings.

The rarely-used misbehavior before the enemy charge carries the possibility of a life sentence in prison, while a desertion conviction comes with a maximum five years in prison.

He was freed in May 2014 as part of a controversial prisoner exchange involving five Taliban leaders who were being held at the United States detention centre at Guantanamo Bay.

Bergdahl’s next hearing is set for January 12. The general officer who led the Army’s exhaustive investigation of Bergdahl’s case also does not favor jail if Bergdahl is convicted at a court martial.

Some of Bergdahl’s platoonmates in Afghanistan said he let his colleagues down by walking off his post, which prompted a manhunt that put other soldiers at risk.

The move lit a firestorm of criticism, with some in Congress accusing President Barack Obama of jeopardising the safety of the country with the exchange. A conviction could command life in prison.

Abrams’ decision overrode a recommendation from Army lawyer Lt. Col. Mark Visger, who said Bergdahl should face a “special court-martial” where the most severe punishment would be a one-year sentence.

The exact circumstances of Bergdahl’s disappearance in 2009 are cloaked in mystery, and his high-profile story is now the subject of the second series of the podcast Serial.

He said trying the case will “determine once and for all if Bowe Bergdahl is a hero or a deserter”.

In contrast, statistics show the US Army prosecuted about 1900 desertion cases between 2001 and the end of 2014.

The more the public can hear Bergdahl’s own words, the better, Fidell told The Associated Press earlier this month. “You know, that I could be what it is that all those guys out there that go to the movies and watch those movies – they all want to be that – but I wanted to prove I was that”.