Prosecutors had previously also looked into suspected crimes by US forces and Afghan government troops. Afghan human rights activist Horia Mosadiq, who has been helping victims to support the ICC probe for many years, called the announcement "an insult to thousands of other victims of crimes by Afghan government forces and US and NATO forces". The ICC had already spent 15 years looking into alleged war crimes in Afghanistan before opening a full investigation last year. The Hague-based ICC is a court of last resort, intervening only when a member country is unable or unwilling to prosecute war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide. A lawyer who represents Afghan victims of suspected US torture in the ICC investigation said the narrowing of its focus was "deeply flawed".

Source: bd News24 September 27, 2021 12:34 UTC