A Bronx-born Navy sailor turned anti-war activist plans to argue that he was following his military training and his conscience when he refused to board his ship in December.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Pablo Paredes faces charges of unauthorized absence and missing movement at his special court-martial Wednesday. He has pleaded not guilty.
...While his shipmates bid farewell to loved ones, Paredes told reporters he did not want to be part of a war he views as both illegal and immoral. He says his military training has taught him to avoid what he views as a war crime.
"The war is the real crime here, and that's what I want to get across," Paredes said. Navy prosecutors, however, have blocked Paredes' plans to put the war on trial during the court-martial, he said.
Defense attorney Jeremy Warren said Paredes has passed up deals that would have minimized his punishment in exchange for a guilty plea.
"He's not backing down from what he did or why he did it," Warren said.
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