An appeals court panel has ruled that a federal judge didn’t have the authority to overturn former U.S. Army soldier Bowe Bergdahl’s military conviction for deserting his post in Afghanistan before Taliban-allied forces abducted him and held him captive for nearly five years.

An American soldier who sprinted into North Korea and was held there for two months before being returned to the U.S. is now set to undergo medical testing and extensive questioning about his time in the isolated country before potentially facing charges under the military justice system.

A judge has vacated the military conviction of Bowe Bergdahl, the former U.S. Army soldier who pleaded guilty to desertion after he left his post and was captured in Afghanistan.

The Taliban warned Washington against defying a May 1 deadline for the withdrawal of American and NATO troops from Afghanistan promising a "reaction". He also reaffirmed that the Taliban were firm on their demand for an Islamic government. The Taliban, who during their rule imposed a harsh brand of Islam, now control about half of the country. The joint statement emphasized that the four countries do not support the restoration of an Islamic emirate in Afghanistan similar to the Taliban's past rule. Shaheen emphasized that the Taliban would stick to the goal of building an Islamic state.

Bowe Bergdahl filed the complaint in federal court in Washington, D.C. last month, asking a judge to overturn his court martial conviction. Bergdahl says Trump's statements and actions by the late U.S. Sen. John McCain and his military judge violated his Fifth Amendment right to a fair trial. In his appeal, Bergdahl said McCain intensely pressured the Army to charge him, calling Bergdahl a “deserter” and threatening to hold a hearing in the Senate Armed Services Committee if Bergdahl went unpunished. But around that same time, Nance was appointed by then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions — a member of Trump’s cabinet — to the immigration judge post, effective the following year. He wants a federal judge to overturn his conviction and sentence and expunge it from his record, restoring his military rights.

The motion filed Friday seeks to have the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces re-examine the impartiality of retired Army Col. Jeffrey Nance, the military judge who sentenced Bergdahl. The motion says Nance was working to secure a job with the Department of Justice at the time of his ruling in the Bergdahl case. Following Trump’s comments, Bergdahl’s attorney asked Nance to dismiss the case because of Trump’s comments “vilifying” Bergdahl. While he declined to rule in the defense’s favor, he said at the time he had concerns about Trump’s comments affecting public perception of the military justice system. He said then that he would consider Trump’s comments a factor promoting leniency.

Walking behind Trump from left are, Attorney General William Barr, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Milley crafted a low public profile in his first eight months on the job, but that changed after the walk. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)WASHINGTON In his first eight months as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley carefully crafted a low-key public profile. He knew that splashy and sassy were unlikely to endear him to his boss, President Donald Trump. Milley is known in the military as a charismatic leader who commanded troops during several tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Mark Allen was one of several soldiers wounded in the search for Bowe Bergdahl. LOGANVILLE, Ga. - A soldier shot in the head a decade ago while searching for Bowe Bergdahl in Afghanistan died on Saturday. Mark Allen, 46, of Loganville, Georgia, was severely wounded in 2009 when he and other soldiers looked for Bergdahl, a fellow soldier who deserted his post and was captured by the Taliban. In a Facebook post, Shannon Allen wrote, "I'm heartbroken to let you all know that my husband passed away peacefully yesterday morning with his family by his side. In 2017, Shannon Allen testified at Bergdahl's sentencing hearing at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, about her husband's injuries and the hardships it caused for her family.