The UK will hold an independent inquiry into allegations of unlawful killings by the British Armed Forces in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defense said Thursday.
Junior defense minister Andrew Murrison announced in the House of Commons that the inquiry, which was commissioned by Defense Secretary Ben Wallace under the 2005 Inquiries Act, will start in early 2023.
It will investigate activities between mid-2010 and mid-2013 by British forces but will also look into the adequacy of the ministry’s response to the allegations, including murder, according to the ministry.
Labour's Shadow Defense Secretary John Healey said the allegations of unlawful killings and cover-ups could not be more serious, and this inquiry is essential “to protect the reputation of our British Special Forces, to guarantee the integrity of military investigations and to secure justice for any of those affected.”
In 2011 and 2012, eight people including three young boys were allegedly murdered by UK Special Forces in two separate incidents during night raids in Afghanistan.
Families of the victims welcomed the announcement.
“Over 10 years ago, I lost two of my brothers, my young brother-in-law and a childhood friend, all boys with a life ahead of them,” the PA news agency quoted a member of one of the families as saying.
“I was handcuffed, beaten and interrogated outside our family home by British soldiers,” they said.
“My relatives and friend were each shot in the head as they sat drinking tea.
“My family has waited 10 years to find out why this happened.
“We are happy that finally after so many years, someone is going to investigate this thoroughly.
“We live in hope that those responsible will one day be held to account,” they added.
The report also cited a member of another family, who said: “I am extremely happy that there are people who value the loss of life of my family, of Afghans, enough to investigate.”
“I hope now that an investigation has opened that those who have committed these crimes can be held responsible.”
The allegations of extrajudicial killings and cover-ups are of such gravity and the concerns expressed within the British and Afghan armies and by a reputable international organization working on the ground in Afghanistan “were so serious and so widespread that an inquiry should have been instituted by the government years ago,” said Tessa Gregory, a partner at law firm Leigh Day which is representing the families according to the news agency.
The inquiry will be chaired by Lord Justice Haddon-Cave, a senior presiding judge for England and Wales.
The inquiry’s details however will be released in due course, said the Defense Ministry.
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