The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has invited Australian officials to investigate allegations of war crimes committed by Australian troops in Afghanistan.
Publish dateMonday 5 June 2023 - 09:57
Story Code : 271213
Afghan Voice Agency(AVA)_Monitoring, Speaking to Australian broadcaster SBS, IEA spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that the IEA will ensure safe passage for officials to speak with the alleged victims.
“All the killings will be investigated and what they consider a crime. After the agreement and our departments get involved, we will 100 percent confidently arrange security. There is no issue there,” Mujahid said.
IEA has been following the fallout from the defamation case brought by former Australian soldier Ben Roberts-Smith against three newspapers – the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and Canberra Times.
The federal court ruled in favor of the newspapers and said their stories that the soldier murdered unarmed Afghan civilians were true.
Mujahid said IEA officials have been following the case.
“We have observed this case. But the perception in Afghanistan is it is a symbolic act. Because Australian forces were here for 20 years to support the American war that killed and tortured many more people,” Mujahid said.
Separately, an independent body, the Office of the Special Investigator, has been investigating 40 allegations of war crimes allegedly committed by Australian forces.
Chris Moraitis, the director-general of the agency, said in February that investigators had not interviewed witnesses inside Afghanistan due to a lack of access.
“All the killings will be investigated and what they consider a crime. After the agreement and our departments get involved, we will 100 percent confidently arrange security. There is no issue there,” Mujahid said.
IEA has been following the fallout from the defamation case brought by former Australian soldier Ben Roberts-Smith against three newspapers – the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and Canberra Times.
The federal court ruled in favor of the newspapers and said their stories that the soldier murdered unarmed Afghan civilians were true.
Mujahid said IEA officials have been following the case.
“We have observed this case. But the perception in Afghanistan is it is a symbolic act. Because Australian forces were here for 20 years to support the American war that killed and tortured many more people,” Mujahid said.
Separately, an independent body, the Office of the Special Investigator, has been investigating 40 allegations of war crimes allegedly committed by Australian forces.
Chris Moraitis, the director-general of the agency, said in February that investigators had not interviewed witnesses inside Afghanistan due to a lack of access.
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