[JURIST] Two court-martials of US soldiers accused of killing or abusing Iraqis in separate incidents are set to take place this week at Fort Hood, Texas. On Tuesday, Sgt. Tracy Perkins will stand trial in the deaths of two Iraqis allegedly pushed into into the Tigris River north of Baghdad in January 2004, and on Friday, Sgt. Charles Graner will face a military court accused of conspiracy to mistreat detainees, dereliction of duties, maltreating detainees, assault and indecency. Graner becamee infamous earlier this year for posing behind naked Iraqi prisoners in photographs taken at Baghdad's Abu Ghraib prison that led to a major scandal and multiple military and civilian investigations. The charge sheet for Graner is available here. Reuters has more. Lawyers for Graner have repeatedly insisted that he was siimply carrying out policies set at a higher level in the chain of command. This week's court-martials happen to coincide with confirmation hearings for White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales, whose nomination as Attorney General has been complicated by his role in helping to craft an expansive American policy on torture and interogation that has since been revised and rejected by the Justice Department. Previously in JURIST's Paper Chase:

• Military judge approves exhuming body of Iraqi civilian
• Abu Ghraib abuse trials moved from Baghdad to Texas
• Trial date set for fourth soldier in Abu Ghraib scandal
• Four US soldiers charged in drowning death of Iraqi man
• Lawyers seeks Rumsfeld testimony in Abu Ghraib court-martial
• Soldier in Abu Ghraib abuse case claims he is being made a 'scapegoat'