British Soldier’s Court-Martial Begins

The first of four British soldiers accused of abusing Iraqi civilians appeared at a British court-martial at a base Monday in northern Germany.

Fusilier Gary Bartlam, 20, is among those from the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers charged after photographs surfaced showing the alleged mistreatment.

Bartlam’s military trial by jury at a British barracks in Bergen, north of Hanover, was expected to last a day or two.

Proceedings against the other three defendants -- Lance Cpl. Darren Larkin, Cpl. Daniel Kenyon and Lance Cpl. Mark Cooley -- will start at Osnabrueck later this week.

The charges include assault and indecent assault on Iraqi civilian detainees at a warehouse near the southern city of Basra in the weeks after the United States and Britain invaded Iraq in March 2003.

Britain’s attorney general, Lord Goldsmith, was quoted by the Guardian newspaper as saying that some of the abuse “apparently involves making the victims engage in sexual activity between themselves.”

British army spokesman Mike Whitehurst said the presiding judge had barred most details in media coverage of the trials.

The accusations surfaced after employees of a photo lab in Britain gave photos purportedly showing the abuse to police.

A part-time British soldier faced a court-martial last year in connection with fake pictures published in the Daily Mirror newspaper, which appeared to show British troops abusing Iraqi prisoners.

A number of U.S. troops have been convicted of abusing prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison outside Baghdad after photos appeared in the world media, prompting international outcry and embarrassing the U.S. government.