HRW Calls for Justice and Compensation for Afghanistan War Victims

Twenty-five years after the United States began its war in Afghanistan, many victims of abuses committed during the conflict have yet to receive justice or compensation, Human Rights Watch says.

The organisation has called on the United States and other countries involved in the war to investigate alleged war crimes committed by their forces.

Human Rights Watch said many people who were killed, tortured or detained during the conflict still have no clear path to file complaints or seek compensation.

Patricia Gossman, associate Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said families of victims and people allegedly tortured in US custody continue to wait for accountability and redress.

The organisation cited allegations of torture, beatings, sleep deprivation and other abuses against detainees in Afghanistan.

Human Rights Watch also highlighted the case of a farmer in Ghazni who was allegedly detained by US forces in 2019 and beaten during interrogation.

The organisation said he was released in August 2021 without being charged with a crime and later alleged that he lost his eyesight during detention.

Human Rights Watch stressed that alleged abuses were not limited to US forces, with foreign troops, former Afghan government forces, the Taliban and ISIS also facing serious allegations.

The organisation urged Australia and the United Kingdom to pursue investigations into allegations involving their forces in Afghanistan.

It also pointed to the International Criminal Court’s investigation into alleged crimes by all sides in the Afghan conflict.

Human Rights Watch welcomed the UN’s independent investigative mechanism for Afghanistan and called for its rapid start to collect and preserve evidence.

The organisation called for accountability and compensation for victims across all sides of the conflict, stressing that the passage of time should not prevent justice for alleged human rights violations.