10 British Special Forces Charged with War Crimes in Syria and Afghanistan

 

 

 

The Guardian newspaper reported that the British Ministry of Defense announced the legal proceedings against 9 soldiers of the country’s special forces on charges of committing war crimes in Syria and a judicial investigation against another soldier on charges of committing crimes in Afghanistan.

The British Ministry of Defense announced that the country’s Armed Forces Judicial Organization is reviewing the cases of these 10 special forces soldiers for at least three separate incidents, although it did not provide details and information about these incidents.

According to the report, these initial figures were also obtained after a request for a response was made by the Times newspaper under the Freedom of Information Act, despite the opposition of the British authorities to publish them.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said: “British military personnel are respected around the world for holding themselves to the highest standards and anyone who fails to meet these standards will be dealt with, including dismissal if necessary. It would be inappropriate to comment further on the ongoing investigation.”

The details were revealed as part of a separate public inquiry into whether British special forces in Afghanistan unlawfully killed dozens of detainees, according to the Guardian.

The Times made the request for information on the crimes in Afghanistan and Syria after it was reported that five members of the British special forces, known as the SAS, had been accused of committing war crimes in Syria more than two years ago and could face a military court.

The soldiers are accused of killing an innocent man they said they identified as a suicide bomber.

The Daily Mail previously reported that a suicide vest was found near the scene of the shooting, but he was not wearing it at the time of his death.

Military sources told the newspaper in early 2024 that they believed British soldiers should have arrested the man instead of killing him. The newspaper also reported that British military chiefs had recommended that the five soldiers be charged with murder, sending documents to the country’s military judiciary.

The Ministry of Defence said eight of the 10 special forces soldiers had faced charges in connection with the case.