Joseph Darby
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Sergeant Joseph Darby (born c. 1979), of Corriganville, Maryland, is a discharged member of the United States military police who first alerted the U.S. military command of prisoner abuse in the Abu Ghraib prison, in Abu Ghraib, Iraq.
In January 2004, Darby provided a compact disc of photographs and an anonymous note to Special Agent Tyler Pieron of the US Army Criminal Investigation Command, who was stationed at Abu Ghraib Prison, triggering an investigation which led to the implication of several soldiers violating the Geneva Convention. Darby initially wanted to remain anonymous — he and those implicated all served in the 372nd Military Police Company, but became known after Donald Rumsfeld publicly named him during a Senate hearing[1]. Darby had agonised for a month beforehand, but finally decided to blow the whistle on his former friends explaining "It violated everything I personally believed in and all I'd been taught about the rules of war." He had known Lynndie England, one of the most well-known suspects, since basic training. He testified that he had received the photos from Charles Graner, another soldier in the photographs.
Since the disclosure, Joseph Darby and his wife, Bernadette, have been the victims of harassment in their community [2]. They have been shunned by friends and neighbors, their property has been vandalized, and they now reside in protective military custody at an undisclosed location. Bernadette said, "We did not receive the response I thought we would. People were, they were mean, saying he was a walking dead man, he was walking around with a bull's-eye on his head. It was scary." [3] On May 16th 2005, he received a John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award, recognizing his bravery in uncovering the abuse at Abu Ghraib.[4]
He was profiled on the December 10, 2006 edition of 60 Minutes.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- ABC News - Person of the Week Story - May 7, 2004
- Washington Post - When Joseph Comes Marching Home - May 16, 2004
- Beliefnet.com - Most Inspiring Person of 2004
- Photos and letters of support for Joseph Darby (also includes correspondence from Darby)
- 60 Minutes - Exposing the Truth of Abu Ghraib
- GQ - Prisoner of Conscience, interview of Joseph Darby
- NPR - Abu Ghraib Whistleblower Speaks Out
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Darby, Joseph |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | U.S. Marine Sargeant and whistleblower |
| DATE OF BIRTH | c. 1979 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Corriganville, Maryland |
| DATE OF DEATH | living |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
