Bowe Bergdahl seeks pardon from Obama before Trump takes office
Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl faces claims of putting soldiers' lives at risk when he left his unit and was captured by the Taliban.
Sunday 4 December 2016 10:27, UK
A soldier accused of abandoning his post in Afghanistan has asked the outgoing US President to pardon him.
Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, 30, was captured by the Taliban and held hostage for five years after leaving his unit back in 2009.
He was subsequently released in a controversial prisoner swap with the militants.
US military prosecutors allege the initial 45-day search for the soldier after he disappeared, put the lives of his military colleagues at risk and diverted attention from the fight against the Taliban.
The former prisoner of war was freed in May 2014 after the Obama administration decided to exchange him for five Taliban detainees held at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.
The move was criticised by some Republicans who accused Mr Obama of jeopardising the nation's safety.
Some politicians were also outraged by the administration not giving Congress 30-days notice about the transfer of detainees, as required by law.
Sgt Bergdahl claimed he walked off his post because he wanted to draw attention to what he saw as problems with his unit.
If his request for leniency is granted it would mean he would avoid a military trial scheduled for April, where he faces charges of desertion and misbehaviour before the enemy.
But if his pardon bid fails he could face life in prison if convicted.
President-elect Donald Trump has been a vocal critic of Sgt Bergdahl calling him a traitor, who should have been executed.
If the pardon is not granted by the time Mr Obama leaves office, Sgt Bergdahl's defence team has said it will file a motion arguing Mr Trump violated their client's due-process rights with his scathing public comments about the case.
The White House confirmed it has received Sgt Bergdahl's pardon application, but said it was standard practice not to comment on pending cases.