US Marine gets 10 years for abusing Muslim recruits, taunting them as terrorists | World News - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

US Marine gets 10 years for abusing Muslim recruits, taunting them as terrorists

Agence France-Presse, Washington | ByAgence France-Presse
Nov 11, 2017 12:40 PM IST

A jury considered Joseph Felix, an Iraq war veteran, the most to blame of six instructors who ordered and participated in extreme hazing of the recruits.

A US Marine Corps drill instructor was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison for abusing more than a dozen Muslim recruits, one of whom died in 2016, US media reported.

US Marine recruits take the Oath of Enlistment before the start of a Veterans Day parade in Dallas, Friday, Nov. 10, 2017.(AP)
US Marine recruits take the Oath of Enlistment before the start of a Veterans Day parade in Dallas, Friday, Nov. 10, 2017.(AP)

Gunnery Sergeant Joseph Felix was convicted a day earlier of maltreatment of the recruits during their basic training at the Parris Island, South Carolina base.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

A jury of eight fellow servicemen and women considered Felix, an Iraq war veteran, the most to blame of six instructors who ordered and participated in extreme hazing of the recruits, taunting them as terrorists.

Two of them were forced into industrial-sized clothes dryers and in one case the machine was turned on when they did not renounce their faith.

One of the recruits, Raheel Siddiqui died after a plunge over a third-story railing in March 2016 after enduring days of hazing worse than the normal high-pressure treatment given recruits.

The Marines called his death a suicide. In October, Siddiqui’s family sued the Marines for $100 million, saying he was driven by an unnamed superior through a door and onto a balcony where he fell to the ground below.

The sentence decided Friday, which also includes a dishonourable discharge, was harsher than the seven years in prison that prosecutors had recommended.

The case will automatically go to appeal per military regulations for judgments that involve lengthy prison sentences and dishonorable discharges.

Unlock a world of Benefits with HT! From insightful newsletters to real-time news alerts and a personalized news feed – it's all here, just a click away! - Login Now!

Get Latest World News along with Latest News from India at Hindustan Times.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On