[JURIST] The US military in Afghanistan [JURIST news archive] began court-martial proceedings [press release] Friday for a US soldier accused of abusing detainees [JURIST report] last year in the southern Uruzgan province. Army Spc. James Hayes is accused of punching detainees in the chest, shoulders, and stomach during the incident, and faces charges of conspiracy to maltreat, dereliction of duty, maltreatment of detainees, and assault consummated by battery. Fellow soldier, Army Sgt. Kevin Myricks will face similar charges on Monday, and another soldier has already been punished under the Uniform Code of Military Justice [text] for not reporting the incident at the time it took place. AFP has more.