Taliban probed for war crimes
THE HAGUE, Netherlands – The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court sought urgent clearance Monday from the court’s judges to resume investigations of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Afghanistan, saying that under the country’s new Taliban rulers “there is no longer the prospect of genuine and effective domestic investigations” in the country.
Global court judges authorized an investigation by Prosecutor Karim Khan’s predecessor, Fatou Bensouda, in March last year. The probe covers offenses allegedly committed by Afghan government forces, the Taliban, American troops and U.S. foreign intelligence operatives dating to 2002.
The decision to investigate Americans led to the Trump administration slapping sanctions on Bensouda.
The investigation was deferred last year after Afghan authorities asked to take over the case.
Khan said Monday that he now plans to focus on crimes committed by the Taliban and the Afghan affiliate of the Islamic State group, adding that he will “deprioritize” other aspects of the investigation.
On his decision to no longer prioritize other aspects of the probe, including allegations of crimes by Americans, Khan said his office “will remain alive to its evidence preservation responsibilities, to the extent they arise, and promote accountability efforts within the framework of the principle of complementarity.”