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The UK government should set up an independent inquiry to review and investigate any allegations of unlawful killings by British special forces in Afghanistan, the country’s Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) said.
The commission issued the call after a comprehensive four-year investigation into Australian special forces operations in Afghanistan uncovered extraordinary allegations of murder and torture of Afghans.
Brereton’s investigation uncovered credible evidence of 39 alleged killings of Afghans by 25 Australian special forces soldiers and even raised concerns that some deaths had been reported as “bloodletting”, a practice in which young people were ordered Soldiers execute prisoners to get their “first death”. ”.
In reaction to the report, Kabul-based AIHRC President Shaharzad Akbar characterized the findings as evidence that Australian forces had engaged in inhumane acts of violence and brutalization.
Akbar said the United States, the United Kingdom and other countries with an armed presence in Afghanistan should investigate allegations of acts of violence against Afghan noncombatants, including detainees and civilians.
He highlighted the role of the UK armed forces, saying: “In particular, the AIHRC calls on the UK to open an independent inquiry to review and investigate allegations of unlawful killings by UK special forces.
“In fact, media reports, AIHRC’s own reports, and reports from other human rights groups have documented violations of IHL. [international humanitarian law] and the law of armed conflict of other countries, ” he said in a statement issued Thursday.
“Only through a series of independent investigations will we discover the true extent of this disregard for Afghan life, which normalized the assassination and resulted in war crimes.
“Only through further investigation, documentation and commitment to the victims will the right of the victims’ families to truth and justice be fulfilled.”
Australian special forces fought mainly in Uruzgan province, but were sometimes sent on missions to disrupt Afghan drug trafficking, particularly in Helmand province, where British forces operated.
As part of its investigations, Brereton’s investigation contacted Australia’s coalition partners, including the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada, and their special forces commandos.
Among the reasons given for the link was “to determine whether coalition partners who had conducted or were conducting investigations had found any evidence of war crimes by Australian special forces.”
“No misconduct by Australian SF [special forces] was revealed by this link, but many lessons were extrapolated that informed the conduct of the investigation, ” the report said.
The report recommended that 36 of the alleged murders be referred to the Australian Federal Police for criminal investigation.
