United Nations experts, including Richard Bennett, the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights for Afghanistan, have urged the Australian government to promptly fulfill its commitments regarding compensation for victims of war crimes in Afghanistan.
In a joint statement released on Wednesday, August 7th, these experts highlighted the findings of investigations into war crimes committed by Australian soldiers in Afghanistan.
They called on the Australian government to “fulfill its duty under international human rights and humanitarian law” to compensate “victims of executions and torture.”
According to the statement, Australian soldiers killed 39 civilian detainees in Afghanistan. It is “unacceptable” that some of these “crimes” occurred 12 years ago, yet no process ensuring immediate compensation has been established.
The UN experts emphasized the need for compensation for war crime victims in Afghanistan, noting that the Australian government introduced mechanisms in July of this year to facilitate the compensation process. However, the UN experts believe that the Australian government activated these mechanisms at the “discretion of its military” rather than as a legal right of the victims.
It is noteworthy that in the case of civilian killings by Australian forces between 2005 and 2016, at least 39 unlawful civilian deaths by Australian forces in Afghanistan have been confirmed.
The call from UN experts highlights the urgent need for the Australian government to take concrete and immediate actions to compensate the victims of war crimes in Afghanistan.
Despite the recent introduction of facilitation mechanisms, the delay in providing justice and reparations is a significant concern. The international community must hold Australia accountable to ensure that the victims receive the compensation they deserve and that such atrocities are not repeated in the future.
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