OTTAWA (AP) — A court martial finds a Canadian soldier not guilty of murder in the death of a wounded and unarmed enemy fighter in Afghanistan's Helmand province last year.
Captain Robert Semrau, however, was convicted Monday on the lesser military charge of disgraceful conduct.
The murder charge carries a mandatory life sentence with no chance of parole for 10 years. A disgraceful conduct conviction carries a penalty of up to five years in prison.
Semrau was charged last December with second-degree murder for allegedly shooting an unarmed man. A bloody battle last October saw Afghan soldiers, their Canadian mentors and British troops defend the Helmand capital of Lashkar Gah from a prolonged attack by insurgents.
