Eight U.S. soldiers serving in Afghanistan have been charged with crimes related to the death of a fellow soldier in a southern Afghan province.
Private Danny Chen, who was 19, was found dead in early October in a guard tower in Kandahar with what the army has described as "an apparent self-inflicted wound."
The charges against the eight men, who remain in Afghanistan, include involuntary manslaughter, assault and dereliction of duty.
Members of Chen's family have told reporters that the dead soldier was subjected to physical and verbal abuse, apparently due to his ethnicity.
The army has released few details about the circumstances of Chen's death or the evidence against those charged.
The eight soldiers include a lieutenant and five sergeants. They have been removed from their duty posts as the legal process continues.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and AFP.
