KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Several current and former Australian military commanders have been stripped of their medals over allegations of war crimes committed during the Afghanistan war, an official said.
As reported by SBS News, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles announced the decision in Parliament on Thursday, September 11.
The Australian Defense Minister said that he had informed the commanders about the decision but refrained from disclosing their number and identities, citing privacy concerns.
According to the SBS report, the decision affected nine military commanders.
“My decisions on this matter are consistent with the findings and recommendations of the Brereton Report. In accordance with obligations owed to individuals involved, including under the Privacy Act, I am prohibited from disclosing the details and outcomes,” Marles said.
“The allegations which are the subject of the Brereton Report are arguably the most serious allegations of Australian war crimes in our history,” he added.
Over the course of Australia’s 20-year involvement in Afghanistan, more than 39,000 military personnel served in the country. During this time, 41 Australian soldiers lost their lives in service.
In 2020, the Brereton Report, a military inquiry led by Maj Gen Paul Brereton, found credible evidence that several Australian Defense Forces (ADF) personnel were involved in the unlawful killing of 39 prisoners and civilians in Afghanistan in 23 incidents between 2005 and 2016. Additionally, two individuals were cruelly treated.
The report recommended that the Australian government promptly compensate the families of the victims, saying that it is “simply the morally right thing to do” and will help restore “Australia’s standing.”
Last month, several UN experts, including Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett, urged the Australian government to immediately compensate the families of the 39 victims of war crimes committed by its soldiers in Afghanistan.
“It is unconscionable that families of deceased victims such as Mr. Nazar Gul, Mr. Yaro Mama Faqir and Mr. Ali Jan, all murdered in 2012, have been left destitute in the harsh living conditions of rural Afghanistan for over a decade,” they said.
“The inquiry established that compensation is owed to the victims and their families and as such, it is unacceptable that compensation has still not been paid almost four years since the Australian Government agreed to pay, and 12 years since some murders occurred,” they added.
The UN experts also urged other countries involved in Afghanistan over the past two decades to thoroughly review their activities, especially any allegations of war crimes, to ensure criminal accountability and reparations.
