NOS News•
A Dutch marine has urged Australian special forces in Uruzgan to search for an Afghan citizen who had just been released, reports NRC. The Australians then allegedly killed and possibly tortured the man. The incident occurred in 2010.
Earlier, Dutch soldiers reported a possible war crime by Australians. According to Australia, the victim was involved in a fatal attack on two Dutch marines on April 17, 2010.
Dutch soldiers found out his whereabouts and arrested him. He was released after questioning as intelligence officers became convinced he had nothing to do with it. The misunderstanding would have arisen because he had the same name.
Online interview
The Dutch Marine was interviewed in 2020 by an artist who collects veterans’ stories to make paintings. In that interview he says that the Afghan went home after his release. The Dutch would have been frustrated about his release.
“Two weeks later come Australian special forces with us on the compound”, he says. “And then I go and talk to one of those lieutenants and I say: hey do you know where you should look? In that house. So they flew there and yes, in the end … He did not survive, let me say so.” The video remained under the radar for a while, but is now part of the Defense investigation into the matter.
A so-called Special Report was drawn up about the case by a Dutch intelligence officer. According to NRC, the Netherlands took no action on this and the report has since disappeared. Defense and justice in Australia are now investigating exactly how the man died.
