An Iraqi civilian testified today that US soldiers forced him and his cousin at gunpoint off a bridge into the Tigris River and laughed as his relative drowned.
Mr Marwan Fadil told the court martial of Army Sgt. 1st Class Tracy Perkins, who is accused of killing 19-year-old Zaidoun Hassoun by having subordinates push him into the river, that they begged the soldiers to stop.
Perkins faces up to 29 years of confinement on charges of involuntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, conspiracy and obstruction of justice.
Defense lawyers have said there was no death, no body, and no crime.
Mr Fadil, speaking through a translator, said he and his cousin were transporting plumbing supplies from Baghdad to Samarra when they were detained by US troops a few minutes before an 11 p.m. curfew on January 3, 2004. They were then taken to the water's edge at gunpoint.
"We started to beg them not to throw us in the water. We said in English, 'please, please', but it was in vain," Mr Fadil said through the translator.
The troops threw the pair from the bridge into the murky water about 10 feet to 12 feet below and which Fadil said was over his head.
"The soldiers had their rifles aimed at us. They were laughing," he said.
Mr Fadil said he could not identify Perkins as one of the troops involved. In testimony yesterday, several US soldiers said Perkins did not directly order or participate in the incident.