NGO calls for investigation into war crimes in Afghanistan
Amnesty International (AI) called today (15) for an investigation into war crimes committed by the Taliban and the deaths of civilians by Afghan security forces and US troops, particularly during the fighting before the fall of Kabul.
"The months leading up to the collapse of the government in Kabul (August 15, 2021) were marked by repeated war crimes and constant bloodshed by the Taliban, as well as deaths caused by Afghan and US forces," he said. Amnesty International (AI) Secretary General Agnés Callamard, in a statement.
The London-based human rights organization says in a report that "as fundamentalists (Taliban) took control of the country, they tortured and killed members of ethnic and religious minorities, former members of the military forces. security and Afghan government supporters."
AI reports that on September 6 (after the fall of Kabul), the Taliban captured and held captive for two days about 20 men in an offensive in Panjashir province, without any assistance, food or water.
According to the organization, six people were executed by the Taliban on the same day, during a confrontation to capture former collaborators of the deposed government.
Witnesses who spoke to Amnesty International said the people shot at the scene were not members of the Afghan security forces.
The statement also cites the events of Aug. 29, when a drone attack by the United States took place that killed ten people, including seven children, in Kabul.
A further 12 people died and 15 were injured as a result of eight shots fired by the Afghan National Army on the same day, also in the capital.
The use of combat weapons in areas populated by civilians is "indiscriminate" and could constitute a "war crime", accuses Amnesty International.
The organization's secretary general asked the International Criminal Court to investigate the acts committed by the US and Afghan military "so that possible war crimes are investigated."
"The Afghan people have already suffered too much, and victims must have access to justice and compensation," said Agnés Callamard.
The organization urges the Taliban and the United States to fulfill their obligations and establish clear and solid mechanisms for civilians to apply for help for damage suffered during the conflict.
"The Taliban authorities now have the same legal obligation to provide redress and must seriously address all matters relating to harm to civilians," Callamard concluded.
Text translated using artificial intelligence.
