Appeals court in Va. upholds 1st conviction of US civilian for detainee abuse in Afghanistan

Va. court upholds prisoner abuse conviction

RICHMOND, Va. —A federal appeals court in Virginia has upheld the conviction of the first American civilian found guilty of mistreating a detainee during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

A three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected David Passaro’s argument that federal courts had no jurisdiction over assaults at a remote military base in Afghanistan.

Passaro, a CIA civilian contractor, was convicted in August 2006 of hitting detainee Abdul Wali with a flashlight and kicking him in the groin. Wali died.

A federal judge in North Carolina sentenced Passaro to more than eight years in prison. The appeals court ordered a new sentencing Monday, saying the judge failed to explain his reason for giving Passaro a longer term than federal sentencing guidelines suggested.