The Government will launch an independent inquiry into “alleged unlawful activity” by British soldiers in Afghanistan.
Bereaved families welcomed the “unprecedented” probe into allegations of extrajudicial killings, which will start in early 2023 and is to be chaired by Lord Justice Haddon-Cave, a senior presiding judge for England and Wales.
Defence minister Dr Andrew Murrison told the Commons: “The Secretary of State for Defence has commissioned an independent statutory inquiry under the 2005 Inquiries Act to investigate and report on alleged unlawful activity by British armed forces during deliberate detention operations in Afghanistan in the period mid-2010 to mid-2013.”
Dr Murrison added the Afghanistan inquiry would also focus on the “adequacy of subsequent investigations into such allegations”.
He said: “This decision has been informed by two ongoing judicial review cases.
“The claims in those cases assert that relevant allegations of unlawful activity were not properly investigated.
“The underlying events have been the subject of comprehensive service police criminal investigations but the MoD accepts that operation Northmoor should have started earlier and that there may be further lessons to learn from the incidents despite there being insufficient evidence for any prosecutions.”
Dr Murrison also told the Commons: “My right honourable friend (Ben Wallace) has asked the right honourable Lord Justice Haddon-Cave to chair the inquiry and he has stepped down from his role as senior presiding judge for England and Wales in order to focus on this task.”
He added: “The inquiry will start to work in earnest in early 2023 and will be fully resourced and supported so that it can carry out its work and report expeditiously.”
The families of eight people, including three young boys, who it is alleged were murdered by UK Special Forces in two separate incidents during night raids in Afghanistan in 2011 and 2012, welcomed the announcement.
A member of the Noorzai family said: “Over 10 years ago I lost two of my brothers, my young brother-in-law and a childhood friend, all boys with a life ahead of them.
“I was handcuffed, beaten and interrogated outside our family home by British soldiers.
“My relatives and friend were each shot in the head as they sat drinking tea.
“My family has waited 10 years to find out why this happened.
“We are happy that finally after so many years someone is going to investigate this thoroughly.
“We live in hope that those responsible will one day be held to account.”
A member of the Saifullah family said: “I am extremely happy that there are people who value the loss of life of my family, of Afghans, enough to investigate.
“I hope now that an investigation has opened that those who have committed these crimes can be held responsible.”
Tessa Gregory, partner at law firm Leigh Day which is representing the families, said: “The allegations of extrajudicial killings and cover up are of such gravity, and the concerns expressed contemporaneously within the British and Afghan army and by a reputable international organisation working on the ground in Afghanistan were so serious and so widespread, that an inquiry should have been instituted by the Government years ago.”
