Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said that 25 years after the start of the war in Afghanistan, the United States and coalition countries have yet to provide justice or compensation for war crimes and serious human rights violations committed in the country.
The organization reported on Monday, October 5, that following the September 11 attacks, the U.S. government authorized the use of certain interrogation methods against suspects that amounted to torture.
Human Rights Watch said U.S. forces in Afghanistan also committed cases of torture and mistreatment, including beatings, humiliation, waterboarding, prolonged sleep deprivation and mock executions.
According to the organization, many detained civilians were released after months or years without ever being charged with a crime.
Human Rights Watch added that the U.S. government has so far failed to provide full accountability or compensation for these cases.
Patricia Gossman, senior Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch, said: “Successive U.S. governments have concealed serious abuses, while those who suffered the most have received neither compensation nor justice.”
She added that Afghans who were tortured while in U.S. custody, as well as the families of those who were wrongfully killed, still have no clear avenue for seeking compensation from the U.S. government.
