GERMANY: U.S. army deserter says he will appeal asylum rejection

Record ID: 349157

  • Title: GERMANY: U.S. army deserter says he will appeal asylum rejection
  • Date: 24th April 2011
  • Summary: STUTTGART, GERMANY (APRIL 23, 2011) (REUTERS) EASTER MARCH FOR PEACE TAKING PLACE VARIOUS OF MARCHERS WITH PEACE BANNERS MARCHERS STANDING AT A MEMORIAL TO DESERTERS VARIOUS OF PEOPLE LISTENING TO SPEECH BY U.S. ARMY DESERTER, ANDRE SHEPHERD VARIOUS OF SHEPHERD SPEAKING PEOPLE APPLAUDING SPEECH (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. ARMY DESERTER, ANDRE SHEPHERD, SAYING: "I decided to apply for asylum for the personal freedom, so that I wouldn't be prosecuted and for the political statement. Because people need to do what they can in order to stop this war, or these imperialistic wars on the world. The collateral murder, actually galvansied my efforts, since then because, what it show is the brutality of the wars." PEOPLE LISTENING TO SPEECHES (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. ARMY DESERTER, ANDRE SHEPHERD, SAYING: "I am confident that we will win at this stage because legally America actually has no ground to stand on, because they break on every single law that i can think of. Even way back in 1949 when they did the Nuremberg Process, where they said that any soldier - no matter what they were doing - should not be involved in any type of illegal conflicts and this case holds true to that and I am the first American that is actually challenging that, and I was really surprised at what the German government did and how they came up with the conclusion that what the Americans did was right in a moral or legal sense. So I am really confident that the German court system will be able to help us in this cause." PEOPLE AT PEACE MARCH HOLDING BANNERS
  • Embargoed: 9th May 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Germany, Germany
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: Legal System,International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVAB9I1F1FLD6LZRT9QOQYLTT44Y
  • Story Text: A U.S. army deserter who applied for asylum in Germany after refusing a second tour in Iraq in 2007 has his claim rejected by the German government but says he will appeal.
    Annual traditional Easter marches kicked off in various German cities on Saturday (April 23) with some 500 marchers taking to the streets in the southern town of Stuttgart to call for peace and an end to international wars.
    This year's peace rally was attended by André Shepherd, a U.S. soldier who deserted his unit to avoid returning to Iraq in 2007. The 34-year-old former Apache helicopter mechanic has been living in Germany since deserting.
    According to U.S. law, soldiers who desert during a time of war can face the death penalty, Shepherd said he had made the claim to the German government to protect himself but also to highlight the problems of war.
    "I decided to apply for asylum for the personal freedom, so that I wouldn't be prosecuted and for the political statement. Because people need to do what they can in order to stop this war, or these imperialistic wars on the world. The collateral murder, actually galvansied my efforts, since then because, what it show is the brutality of the wars," he said.
    Shepherd's application for refugee status was turned down by the German government on April 5.
    The former soldier said he was surprised by the news given that Germany was a staunch opponent of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, due to the legacy of the post-war trials of Nazi officials, notably in Nuremberg in 1945-1949.
    "Even way back in 1949 when they did the Nuremberg Process, where they said that any soldier - no matter what they were doing - should not be involved in any type of illegal conflicts and this case holds true to that and I am the first American that is actually challenging that, and I was really surprised at what the German government did and how they came up with the conclusion that what the Americans did was right in a moral or legal sense," he said.
    Shepherd has said he will appeal the decision.
    "So I am really confident that the German court system will be able to help us in this cause," he said at the Stuttgart peace rally.
    Shepherd is thought to be the first American deserter to seek asylum in Europe.
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