FORT HOOD, Jan 7: Specialist Charles Graner of the US Army, the accused ringleader of the Iraq prisoner abuse scandal that outraged the world, went on trial on Friday ready to offer a defence he was just following orders.

Charles Graner and Private Lynndie England, who is also facing a court-martial, became the faces of the Abu Ghraib prison scandal after they appeared in photographs that showed degraded prisoners.

Graner, 36, a reservist who had worked as a prison guard in the United States, faces 17 years in prison on charges that include conspiracy to mistreat detainees, dereliction of duty, maltreating detainees and assault.

Graner restated his plea of not guilty on all charges as the trial opened and indicated he wanted an enlisted jury panel, meaning at least one-third of the jurors would be military enlisted personnel rather than officers.

Prosecutors say they plan to introduce photographs, videos of abuses and testimony from about 10 people in the case, which will last one or two weeks. With Graner's actions documented, his attorneys will argue he was only following orders.

"Specialist Graner received orders from his direct superiors. There is going to be evidence that he complained about the orders. He thought perhaps that they were improper," his lawyer, Guy Womack, told reporters at Fort Hood on Thursday. -Reuters