Air Force Major Who Called for Trump’s Impeachment is in Solitary Confinement 24 Hours a Day: Attorney

Key Points:

• Maj. Jason Watson, a U.S. Air Force member jailed since August for publicly calling for President Trump's impeachment, is being held in solitary confinement 24 hours a day, according to his attorney.
• Watson was arrested on July 1 at the U.S. Capitol for demonstrating in uniform with a sign demanding Trump's removal and was placed in pretrial confinement on August 18 after reiterating his criticism in a CNN interview.
• He faces charges under three articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, including Article 88, which prohibits officers from using contemptuous words against the president, and is being moved toward a general court-martial, the military’s most serious trial level.
• Military law prohibits punitive confinement before trial, and Watson’s attorney claims his solitary confinement conditions may violate these rules, though the Air Force has not publicly addressed these concerns.
• Watson views his protest as a matter of conscience, accepting the personal cost involved, while no trial date has been set as he remains in pretrial confinement.