U-S soldier who left his unit seeks refugee status in Canada
TORONTO An Army private seeking refugee status in Canada says the Iraq war is illegal and would have forced him to commit war crimes. Private Jeremy Hinzman has told Canadian immigration officials that he would be persecuted if forced to return to the United States.
The 26-year-old fled Fort Bragg, North Carolina, last January and lives in Toronto with his wife and two-year-old son. Hinzman says he enlisted in 2000, figuring he "needed some focus and direction."
A member of the 82nd Airborne Division, Hinzman could be charged with desertion and face up to five years in prison in the U-S.
Hinzman applied for conscientious objector status before his unit was sent to Afghanistan in 2002, but the Army told him it lost his application.
Copyright 2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
|
