Four former Blackwater security contractors on Monday appealed their conviction for a 2007 Baghdad shooting that killed 14 Iraqi civilians. This appeal centers around a witness for the prosecution who changed his testimony after the trial in a way that allegedly undermines the government’s case. The four men were found guilty of various murder charges in October 2014 by the US District Court for the District of Columbia, and in April 2015 one was sentenced] to life in prison while the remaining three were given 30 years.
US District Judge Royce Lamberth declined to grant a new trial when the witness’ new testimony came to light before the sentencing hearing, but the defendants pursue this appeal while maintaining that the shootings were justified.
