Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Wednesday urged the United Nations to investigate UK media reports alleging British troops committed war crimes in Afghanistan.
“The information reported by BBC journalists should become the subject of an investigation by the international community, including the UN.
At the very least, the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial executions and the UN Human Rights Council should look into this case,” Zakharova wrote on Telegram.
On May 13, the BBC reported that members of the UK’s elite Special Air Service (SAS) killed unarmed Afghans, including children, executed prisoners, and attacked sleeping people.
Zakharova said the BBC investigation shows the UK government covers up war crimes by its troops to avoid responsibility.
“The bottom line is: the British military has committed war crimes on a massive scale in Afghanistan and Iraq.
There are numerous officially documented cases of extrajudicial killings of non-combatants which is a grave war crime.
Mass war crimes were committed by British soldiers and officers, including against Iraqi and Afghan minors,” Zakharova said.
In December 2022, the UK Defence Ministry announced an investigation into allegations of crimes by British armed forces in Afghanistan from mid-2010 to mid-2013.
This included claims that SAS troops killed more than 50 unarmed Afghans during raids between 2010 and 2011.
(NAN)