A small group of comrades from the regiment of Captain Robert Semrau attended his court martial Wednesday at Kandahar Airfield in what his lawyer described as a show of support.
Capt. Semrau, charged in the battlefield shooting death of a wounded Afghan insurgent, chatted briefly with the soldiers from the Royal Canadian Regiment, occasionally smiling.
His second-degree murder case resumed inside a tent that has been converted into a makeshift courtroom at the sprawling military base.
"He certainly has a lot of peers who are here at this time, so obviously he's not without supporters," Major Steve Turner, Capt. Semrau's lawyer, said outside court.
"The Canadian Forces are a fairly small and tight-knit crew, and pretty much all of us find friends and colleagues when we go to other bases or on deployment."
Major Turner said Capt. Semrau would have preferred returning to the war-torn country serving alongside his military colleagues.
"Obviously the circumstances of coming back for trial are different than coming back for a deployment," Major Turner said. "He'd much rather be serving in a different capacity than here as the subject of this proceeding."
The court martial, which started in Canada in March, is the first in Afghanistan since the mission began in 2002.
Preparations for the case were unlike those for civilian or military trials back home. Soldiers checked their guns at the door. Court officials had to undergo training similar to that given to deployed troops, such as first aid and weapons proficiency.
The day's proceedings were dominated by procedural discussions that are the subject of a publication ban.
Capt. Semrau, 36, has pleaded not guilty to four charges, including second-degree murder, after the October, 2008, fatal shooting of an injured militant in neighbouring Helmand province, west of Kandahar. No body was ever recovered.
Capt. Semrau was part of a four-member Operational Mentor and Liaison Team assigned to an Afghan National Army company while on a foot patrol when they encountered a series of ambushes and called in an Apache helicopter strike.
The company soon came across a badly injured insurgent, whom the ANA soldiers disarmed and began verbally and physically abusing, including spitting on him, according to military court testimony.
The ANA commander allegedly said medical care would not be provided, leaving Capt. Semrau's team to make a decision. They agreed not to call in an evacuation helicopter, although such support was available through the British, the court has heard.
Soon after, a second insurgent was found about 50 metres away, already dead. It was decided the troops would photograph the two insurgents, because they were unidentified and the intelligence could prove worthwhile.
Capt. Semrau and an interpreter nicknamed Max returned to the injured man. Another soldier, Corporal Steven Fournier, took photos. Capt. Semrau allegedly then told the other two to "turn around" and that "you do not or should not have to see this."
The prosecution has said Max, who is scheduled to take the witness box in Kandahar, will testify that he heard two distinct shots and turned around in time to see Capt. Semrau firing the second shot, the barrel of his assault rifle pointed at the wounded man.
The defence has not put forth its case and is not obliged to, according to court-martial rules.
Capt. Semrau wasn't charged until two months after the incident as details began leaking out, the court has heard. A military team went back to Helmand province and found two .56 mm shell casings, but no body.
Capt. Semrau had previously a spotless record in stints with both the British and Canadian Forces. He is based at Canadian Forces Base Petawawa.
The case continues Thursday.