Canberra, November 19 An investigation report released on the 19th by Australian Defence Force Commander Angus Campbell stated that a total of 25 Australian active or former Defence Force personnel were suspected of participating in the killing of prisoners and civilians in Afghanistan.
It is recommended to launch a criminal investigation of 19 of them.
The report said that a four-year investigation was conducted on whether Australian soldiers who performed missions in Afghanistan from 2005 to 2016 were suspected of war crimes.
The investigation found that during their stay in Afghanistan, 25 Australian soldiers were suspected of participating in 23 murders of prisoners and civilians. A total of 39 people were killed in these incidents, and two others were abused.
The report stated that none of these incidents occurred during intense fighting. Some of the killed were local Afghan people encountered by the Australian army during their mission, and most of them were people who had been arrested and under control.
The investigation also found that young soldiers shot prisoners at the request of the commander to complete the first shooting training. The Australian soldiers also placed weapons next to the bodies of the “enemies killed in action” as evidence that the slain were “legitimate targets.”
Campbell said at the press conference that killing civilians and prisoners is never acceptable and is a serious violation of “military codes of conduct and professional values.”
Australian Prime Minister Morrison told local media on the 19th that the Australian government attaches great importance to this report and will hand over the report to the special prosecutor responsible for investigating the matter, and deal with it in accordance with national laws and judicial systems.
