Via Lt-Smash.usA military judge ordered a Navy sailor on Thursday to complete three months of hard labor for refusing to deploy with his ship in protest of the war in Iraq, but he declined prosecutors' requests for time in custody. Lt. Cmdr. Bob Klant also reduced Pablo Paredes' rank from petty officer third class to seaman recruit, the lowest in the Navy.
Before the sentence was imposed, Paredes read an impassioned statement of his beliefs. "If there is anything I could be guilty of, it is my beliefs," he said. "I am guilty of believing the war is illegal. I am guilty of believing war in all forms is immoral and useless, and I am guilty of believing that as a service member I have a duty to refuse to participate in this war because it is illegal."
Paredes showed no emotion as the judge delivered the sentence. He left the court without speaking to reporters. Prosecutors had asked Klant to sentence Paredes to nine months in confinement, three months less than the possible maximum, and a bad conduct discharge. "He is trying to infect the military with his own philosophy of disobedience," prosecutor Lt. Brandon Hale said. "Sailors all over the world will want to know whether this will be tolerated. Sailors want to know whether doing what he did is a good way to get out of deployment."
Prosecutors left the courtroom without making any statements, but Sam Samuelson, a Navy spokesman, said Paredes' guilty verdict sent a message. "His actions were in conflict with his duty and taxpayers' obligations that the Navy maintain good order and discipline," Samuelson said.
The sentence of hard labor normally involves extra duty. For two of the three months, Paredes also will be restricted to his naval base.
Paredes' lawyer, Jeremy Warren, called the judge's lesser sentence "a stunning blow to the prosecution." "This is an affirmation of every sailor's and military person's right to speak out and follow their conscience," he said.