asymmetrical haircuts

In this episode we’re adding on to our miniseries from earlier in the year where we examined accountability for war crimes committed by foreign forces during Afghanistan’s 20-year conflict.

Following on from our coverage of Australia’s Brereton Inquiry, we’re now turning to the UK, the Netherlands, and beyond—asking: how are other countries reckoning with their role in the conflict? We discuss various types of investigations currently taking place and what justice might look like going forward.

First we speak with Iain Overton, Executive Director of the charity Action on Armed Violence, about the UK’s ‘Independent Inquiry Relating to Afghanistan’, currently underway to investigate allegations of extrajudicial killings by it’s SAS troops.

Then Thijs Bouwknegt, from the NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust, and Genocide Studies talks to us about the Dutch investigation currently taking place. This is a historical investigation, requested by the Dutch government, which is aiming to provide analysis and perspective on the Dutch involvement in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2021, including military operations, diplomatic efforts, and non-governmental involvement.

We also heard from Ben Saul, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Counterterrorism, and Rachel Reid, a human rights specialist and senior writer at the Afghanistan Analysts Network. They shared their perspectives on the broader avenues for justice, including the current scope of the ICC’s investigation into Afghanistan and the potential role of a UN investigative mechanism.

This podcast has been produced as part of a partnership with JusticeInfo.net, an independent website in French and English covering justice initiatives in countries dealing with serious violence. It is a media outlet of Fondation Hirondelle, based in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Former President of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte is now in the International Criminal Court Detention Unit following his arrest in Manila on charges linked to his “war on drugs” in which thousands of purported dealers and users were killed.

He’s been charged with crimes against humanity for his role in the anti-drugs crackdown while he was president from 2016 – 2022. He could become the first Asian former head of state to go on trial at the ICC.

Duterte was arrested at Manila airport on Tuesday and, within hours, was sent off on a chartered jet via Dubai to The Hague, despite his protests and some attempts to get the Supreme Court to intervene.

Why has he been arrested? Our colleague Lian Buan from Rappler explained the background: Local politics are part of the story – the current president and vice-president have fallen out. The VP is Duterte’s daughter. The president, Bongbong Marcos, had initially refused to cooperate with the ICC investigation, but as his relationship with the Duterte family has deteriorated, he changed his point of view. The ICC handover is the latest twist in the political saga. Sara Duterte, the vice-president has arrived to support her father in the Netherlands. According to the schedule she provided the media she is looking for a lawyer for him.

The ICC’s Office of the Prosecutor welcomed the arrest and said it “thank[s] all the victims, survivors, witnesses and activists from the Philippines who have stepped forward to cooperate in the Office’s investigation. Their strength, courage, and perseverance make these significant developments possible”.