Deliberations began late Monday at Fort Hood in the court-martial of Spc. Sabrina Harman, the Army reservist who is charged in the abuse of prisoners at Baghdad’s infamous Abu Ghraib Prison.
Harman is charged with mistreating detainees and dereliction of duty.
If convicted, she could get up to six and-a-half years in prison.
During closing arguments Monday, prosecutors said Harman and other guards on the night shift conspired to mistreat detainees that were photographed in a human pyramid.
But defense lawyer Frank Spinner countered that Harman was an inexperienced soldier thrust into a dysfunctional situation that overwhelmed her.
Harman did not testify, but her attorneys did offer a letter she wrote into evidence in which Harman wrote to a friend that the treatment of Iraqi prisoners was “awful” and getting out of hand.
The defense say the letter suggests that Harman took pictures of the detainee abuse because she opposed the mistreatment and wanted to document the wrongdoing.
Harman’s former roommate read parts of the letter in which Harman described how she first thought the detainee treatment was "funny" but changed her mind.
The letter was written a few days before the first instance of abuse Harman is accused of committing.
Harman's company commander also testified.
He said the unit had no written policy on how to handle prisoners, but he said there was a posted ban on photography.
Among other things, Harman is accused of writing "rapeist" on the leg of one prisoner and forcing another to stand on a box with wires in his hands and telling him he would be electrocuted if he fell.
She is pictured in another photo giving a thumbs-up while posing with the corpse of an Iraqi detainee allegedly beaten by Navy SEALs.
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