The UK government has officially launched an investigation into allegations of “unlawful killings” by its armed forces in Afghanistan.
Lord Justice Haddon-Cave, who will lead the investigation, is expected to announce on Thursday a request for evidence of alleged unlawful conduct in Afghanistan between 2010 and 2013, coinciding with the start of the inquiry.
The “independent legal” investigation, requested by Defence Secretary Ben Wallace under the 2005 Inquiries Act, will focus on alleged unlawful conduct during deliberate detention operations.
He has said that It is important that anyone who has broken the law is referred to the relevant authorities for investigation.
He has emphasized that many interrogation sessions need to be held behind closed doors for security reasons.
The mission is to determine whether previous military police investigations were carried out properly and effectively and whether there is credible information to substantiate allegations of extra-legal killings by British forces during the three years.
The investigation is also seeking to uncover to what extent unlawful activities have been covered up and what lessons can be learned from them.
In his speech, Andrew Morrison, another official from the British Ministry of Defence, announced that an investigation has been ordered and stated that the Ministry of Defence will examine “sufficient previous investigations” into allegations of misconduct, including murder, in this process.
However, the surviving members of the two eight-member families, including three young sons who are said to have been killed during British forces’ night raids in Afghanistan from 2011 to 2012, had previously welcomed this news.
This investigation was launched after defense lawyers of two Afghan families, including the families of Saifullah and Nourzi, called for a judicial inquiry into two cases of deliberate unlawful killings.
