‘Afghans file 1.7 million war crime complaints with ICC’
A human rights group says the International Criminal Court (ICC) has received over one and a half million statements of alleged war crimes from Afghan citizens in a span of three months.
A human rights group says the International Criminal Court (ICC) has received over one and a half million statements of alleged war crimes from Afghan citizens in a span of three months.
The Human Rights and Eradication of Violence organization said on Thursday that the ICC had received 1.7 million statements since it began collecting material three months ago.
Abdul Wadood Pedram of the organization said each of the 1.7 million statements included multiple victims, meaning that the actual number of the individuals seeking justice could be several millions.
The Taliban and the US and its allies are among the main targets of the suits over crimes committed since the occupation of Afghanistan in 2001.
“It shows how the justice system in Afghanistan is not bringing justice for the victims and their families,” Pedram said.
The ICC has not given details about the victims or organization providing information.
“I have the names of the organizations, but because of the security issues, we don’t want to name them because they will be targeted,” Pedram said.
The ICC was established in 2002 with a mission to investigate war crime allegations across the globe. The body can only look into cases in Afghanistan that allegedly occurred after May 2003, when the country accepted ICC jurisdiction.
