Watchdogs outraged over photo of Australian soldier drinking from prosthetic leg

Patricia Gossman, Associate Asia Director for Human Rights Watch, has called on the Afghan government to speak up for victims of the alleged war crimes carried out by Australia’s special forces.

Following the publication on Tuesday of a photograph of an Australian special forces soldier drinking beer out of a prosthetic leg belonging to a dead Taliban fighter, Gossman tweeted: “The Afghan government should speak up for the victims and demand a thorough and independent investigation of all alleged crimes, prosecutions of those responsible, and adequate and swift compensation to the Afghans harmed by these crimes.”

Zabiullah Farhang, a spokesman for the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) said the photos showed Australian soldiers “had no respect for the life of Afghans here”.

Other Afghans reacted with as much disgust at the photograph, and others published in Australian media.

“It is the most disgusting, shocking and horrific image I’ve ever seen,” Hayatullah Fazly, a member of the provincial council in Uruzgan, told the Guardian.

“It is more painful when you consider that [the soldiers] were here to help us and make us feel safe. It’s shameful.”

The publication of the images follows the release last week of a redacted report into Australian special forces’ conduct in Afghanistan that linked soldiers to the unlawful deaths of 39 prisoners and civilians.

One alleged incident, heavily redacted in the report, is described as “possibly the most disgraceful episode in Australia’s military history”.

A special investigator’s office has been set up to prosecute the alleged crimes detailed in the report.

Farhang meanwhile told the Guardian: “This is a true violation of international human rights and also it is a war crime. We welcome the Australian prime minister’s efforts in creating an [office] to investigate it, this will help in discovering more crimes.

“We ask the Australian government to hear and accept the demands of victims … [to help in] bringing the responsible to justice. The special committee should also facilitate a way in which the victims can directly contact them,” he said.

Gossman also said prosecutors needed to “investigate up the chain of command” and hold senior officers criminally liable if they knew about the alleged crimes and failed to prevent them or punish those responsible.