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SAN DIEGO — A military judge released a Navy SEAL accused of war crimes from pre-trial confinement Thursday.

Eddie Gallagher was joined by his wife Andrea outside the courtroom at Naval Base San Diego.

“My brother-in-law and I have been fighting for my husband for so long and for his freedom and it sometimes felt like that was never going to happen. And then today it happened and I just feel like it’s a huge step in the right direction,” Andrea told reporters.

Gallagher has been held at Naval Medical Center San Diego following his release from the brig at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar last month.

Earlier this week, Gallagher’s defense team filed a motion to have the case dismissed, describing the case as “irreparably corrupted.”

Gallagher is charged with war crimes during a deployment to Iraq in 2017. He is accused of stabbing and murdering a teenage ISIS fighter who had been detained, along with shooting at non-combatants.

Gallagher’s defense attorney Timothy Parlatore claims government prosecutors used Navy intelligence officers to do background checks on defense attorneys and used hidden software to track the defense team’s emails. He claims prosecutors leaked information while limiting access to witnesses and evidence that would help Gallagher’s case.

Gallagher will return to the courtroom Friday as the hearing continues. His trial is slated to begin June 10.

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