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US Rejects ICC ‘War Crimes’ Probe of Troops in Afghanistan

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Last Updated on: October 24, 2022

uswarcrimesAn International Criminal Court investigation of possible war crimes by U.S. forces in Afghanistan is not “warranted or appropriate,” the U.S. State Department said on Tuesday after prosecutors in The Hague found initial grounds for such a probe. Reuters reported.

According to Reuters, State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau said the United States was not a party to the Rome Statute that created the International Criminal Court in The Hague and had not consented to ICC jurisdiction. She also said Washington had a robust justice system able to deal with such complaints.

“The United States is deeply committed to complying with the law of war,” Trudeau told reporters at a news briefing. “We do not believe that an ICC examination or investigation with respect to actions of U.S. personnel in relation to the situation in Afghanistan is warranted or appropriate.”

Her comments came a day after prosecutors at the International Criminal Court said in a report that there was a “reasonable basis to believe” that U.S. forces had tortured at least 61 prisoners in Afghanistan and another 27 at CIA detention facilities elsewhere in 2003 and 2004.

The United States occupied Afghanistan in 2001 as it went after al Qaeda leaders behind the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington. Crimes also may have been committed at U.S. Central Intelligence Agency facilities in Poland, Lithuania and Romania, where some people captured in Afghanistan were taken, prosecutors said.

The U.S. Justice Department between 2009 and 2012 investigated CIA mistreatment of detainees, including a full criminal investigation into two deaths in U.S. custody, but ultimately decided against prosecuting anyone.

Some U.S. military personnel have been prosecuted for murder and other crimes in Afghanistan.

However, the Afghan parliament gives ICC the permission to review all domestic and foreign cases in the territory of the country.

“All of the nation have witnessed the security forces and NATO’s bombings and arbitrary killings,” said Abdul Qader Zazay, representative of Kabul.

“Americans’ records in Afghanistan and Iraq indicate that there is the possibility that these cases are true,” said Jafar Mahdawi, representative of Kabul in parliament.

The ICC was established in 1998 to prosecute war crimes and crimes against humanity. Trudeau noted the United States has “engaged with the ICC and we’ve supported ICC investigations and prosecution of cases that we believe advance our values in accordance with U.S. law.”

Reuters

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IEA ambassador, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister discuss Afghan refugee situation

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Sardar Ahmad Shakeeb, ambassador of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in Islamabad, held a telephone conversation with Sohail Afridi, Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, to discuss the situation of Afghan refugees in the province, with a particular focus on returnees.

According to a statement from the Afghan Embassy in Islamabad, Shakeeb expressed appreciation for ongoing efforts to support Afghan refugees, highlighting Afridi’s recent visit to the Hamza Baba camp in Landi Kotal. He welcomed directives issued to improve conditions at the camp, including the reactivation of mobile registration teams, and expressed hope that such initiatives would be further expanded.

The ambassador also called for an increase in mobile registration teams, improved facilities at the Hamza Baba camp and other sites, the swift release of thousands of stranded refugees, and an overall acceleration of the return process to Afghanistan.

Afridi, in response, thanked the Afghan ambassador and said he closely monitors the registration process and migrant holding centres across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on a daily basis.

He added that he would issue the necessary instructions to relevant authorities to ensure the concerns raised are addressed as quickly as possible.

 

 

 

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Kabul–Tehran call highlights growing ties and support for diplomatic solutions

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, for his part, praised the continued growth of ties between Tehran and Kabul and expressed support for further expanding cooperation in areas of mutual interest.

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Afghanistan and Iran have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations and advancing regional dialogue during a phone call between their foreign ministers.

Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi described bilateral cooperation as positive and steadily progressing, welcoming increased trade and expanding collaboration across multiple sectors.

Muttaqi also underscored the importance of diplomacy, calling ongoing engagement between Iran and the United States a constructive development, and stressing that outstanding issues should be resolved through dialogue and negotiation.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, for his part, praised the continued growth of ties between Tehran and Kabul and expressed support for further expanding cooperation in areas of mutual interest.

He also briefed his Afghan counterpart on the latest developments in talks between Iran and the United States.

Officials say the exchange reflects a shared interest in sustaining dialogue, deepening economic links, and promoting greater stability across the region.

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Pakistan ramps up deportations of Afghan refugees, rights group warns

More than 146,000 Afghans have been deported from Pakistan in 2026 alone, with numbers rising in April. Detainees are typically transferred to holding centres before being expelled.

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Pakistani authorities have escalated raids, detentions and forced returns of Afghan refugees following renewed border clashes with Afghanistan, according to Human Rights Watch.

The group said police operations in several cities have included door-to-door searches, late-night raids and arrests without warrants. Afghans with valid visas have reportedly been detained alongside undocumented migrants, many of whom lack paperwork after Pakistan stopped renewing refugee registration documents in 2023.

More than 146,000 Afghans have been deported from Pakistan in 2026 alone, with numbers rising in April. Detainees are typically transferred to holding centres before being expelled.

Refugees interviewed by the group described arrests during everyday activities, confiscation of money and phones, and demands for bribes. Fear of detention has also prevented many from seeking medical care or sending children to school.

Human Rights Watch also reported cases of family separations and children being deported alone. Some returnees have ended up in overcrowded border camps in Afghanistan with limited access to food, shelter and healthcare.

The crackdown follows escalating violence along the disputed Durand Line frontier with Pakistan since late 2025. Rights groups say the forced returns may violate international law, including the prohibition on sending people back to countries where they risk persecution or harm.

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