UPDATE - Trump Pardons 4 Ex-Blackwater Guards Convicted In 2007 Baghdad Massacre

Faizan Hashmi Published December 23, 2020 | 07:10 AM

US President Donald Trump has granted full pardons to four former Blackwater contractors convicted in connection with the death of Iraqi civilians in 2007, the White House said in a press release

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd December, 2020) US President Donald Trump has granted full pardons to four former Blackwater contractors convicted in connection with the death of Iraqi civilians in 2007, the White House said in a press release.

In 2007, a group of Blackwater contractors escorting a convoy opened fire in Baghdad's Nisour Square, killing 14 unarmed civilians including two boys, ages 9 and 11, according to the Justice Department.

"Today, President Trump granted full pardons to Nicholas Slatten, Paul Slough, Evan Liberty, and Dustin Heard," the release said on Tuesday. "These veterans were working in Iraq in 2007 as security contractors responsible for securing the safety of United States personnel. When the convoy attempted to establish a blockade outside the 'Green Zone,' the situation turned violent, which resulted in the unfortunate deaths and injuries of Iraqi civilians.

The White House said that, on appeal, the DC Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that additional evidence should have been presented at Slatten's trial. Further, the release added, prosecutors recently disclosed that the lead Iraqi investigator involved may have been tied to insurgent groups.

In 2018, Slatten was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison for opening fire first in the Nisour Square massacre. The other guards initially were sentenced to 30 years in prison but the sentences were halved by a judge in September of 2019.

Trump also issued pardons to former Republican Congressmen Chris Collins and Duncan Hunter, who each pleaded guilty to fraud charges.