Russia: NATO Countries Concealing War Crimes in Afghanistan

The Russian foreign ministry has accused Britain and other NATO member states of concealing war crimes and imposing restrictions on investigating war crimes committed by their forces in Afghanistan.

Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, stated that existing evidence demonstrates brutal actions by NATO member states against Afghan civilians.

She said: “I would like to point out what has been secretly halted. Evidence literally shows the most brutal retaliatory actions against civilians, which NATO carried out with impunity during the occupation of Afghanistan from 2001 to 2021. During a closed investigation, a former British special forces officer admitted that the British Special Air Service (SAS) essentially had special authorization to kill Afghans.”

On January 9, 2025, the British government issued a warning to the media after new revelations about war crimes committed by its special forces in Afghanistan. The warning urged media outlets to avoid breaching reporting restrictions on investigations related to war crimes by its special forces.

Part of the British government’s statement on January 9, 2025, reads: “The Independent Inquiry relating to Afghanistan published gist materials from seven special forces witnesses who gave evidence in closed hearings in the spring of last year. The materials were released with a Restriction Order, which included a warning that the media must not identify the individuals or give any information which could lead to their identification.”

“When it comes to human rights, the Afghan nation is also human, and this issue must be investigated,” said Zalmay Afghanyar, a military affairs analyst.

“If this action by Britain is implemented and investigations are halted, it signifies a dictatorship by Britain. But a dictatorship against whom? Against the British people themselves, because this matter concerns Afghanistan, yet an internal British entity initiated these investigations,” said Asif Faqiri, a legal analyst.

The British special forces have been accused of war crimes in Afghanistan between 2010 and 2013. To investigate these allegations, the UK launched a process called the Independent Inquiry on Afghanistan in February 2023.