Years of service ??? - 2004 | Name Jeremy Sivits Role Soldier | |
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Born January 21, 1979 (age 45) ( 1979-01-21 ) Battles/wars Operation Iraqi Freedom, Post-invasion Iraq, 2003–present Unit 372nd Military Police Company | ||
Battles and wars Iraq War, History of Iraq Allegiance United States of America | ||
Standard Operating Procedure | "We Were Just Following Orders - Jeremy Sivits" Official Clip (2008)
Jeremy C. Sivits (born 21 January 1979) is a former U.S. Army reservist, one of several soldiers charged and convicted by the U.S. Army in connection with the 2003-2004 Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal in Baghdad, Iraq during and after the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He was a member of the 372nd Military Police Company during this time.
Contents
- Standard Operating Procedure We Were Just Following Orders Jeremy Sivits Official Clip 2008
- Charges and trial
- References
Sivits was the man who took some of the photographs at the prison which became notorious after some were first aired on the 60 Minutes II news television show. His father, David Sivits, a former serviceman, claims that Sivits was trained as a mechanic, not a prison guard, and that he "was just doing what he was told to do." Sivits was the first soldier convicted in connection with the Abu Ghraib incidents.
Charges and trial
On May 5, 2004: Sivits was charged under Uniform Code of Military Justice with the following:
His special court-martial was held on May 19, 2004 in Baghdad. Sivits pleaded guilty and testified against some of his fellow soldiers. Sivits's testimony included reporting seeing Charles Graner punching a naked detainee "with a closed fist so hard in the temple that it knocked the detainee unconscious." Sivits also testified seeing Lynndie England stomping on the feet and hands of detainees with her boots.
The court martial sentenced Sivits to the maximum sentence, one year of confinement, in addition to being discharged for bad conduct and demoted from specialist to private.
Human Rights Watch and other human rights groups were not allowed in the court room.