Capt. Robert Semrau’s sentencing postponed
Canadian soldier convicted of shooting a wounded Taliban fighter will learn his fate Sept. 21
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Two months ago, a military court-martial convicted Capt. Robert Semrau of “disgraceful conduct” for shooting a wounded, unarmed Taliban fighter in Afghanistan. The 36-year-old Saskatoon native, who is staring at a potential five-year prison term, was supposed to be sentenced tomorrow morning. But the Department of National Defence announced this afternoon that the much-anticipated hearing has been postponed for two weeks, until Sept. 21, because the judge is unavailable for “medical reasons.” Semrau was the first Canadian soldier ever charged with homicide in a war zone, but a four-man jury of his peers found him not guilty on the three most serious charges he faced: second-degree murder, attempted murder, and negligent performance of a military duty. Along with potential jail time, the disgraceful conduct conviction could be the end of his career in the army.