Afghan unlawful killings inquiry

The Independent Inquiry relating to Afghanistan is a 2023 British public inquiry into extrajudicial killings that took place in Afghanistan between 2010 and 2013, during the War in Afghanistan.

History
The UK Government's plan to hold the inquiry was initially announced by Defence Secretary Ben Wallace in December 2022. It followed a BBC Panorama investigation that reported that British special forces killed 54 Afghan detainees in suspicious circumstances during their tours of Afghanistan. The inquiry was launched on 22 March 2023 and is chaired by judge Charles Haddon-Cave.

Inquiry
The inquiry planned to focus on night-time raids, known as Deliberate Detention Operations, including the 2012 Shesh Aba raid. Terms of reference included investigating the alleged cover-ups of the fatal incidents.

Law firm Leigh Day represents families of the bereaved, Brian Altman represents the Ministry of Defence.

The judge, Charles Haddon-Cave has the authority to compel witnesses to testify.

The inquiry centres around the activities of British special forces. The Ministry of Defence initially made an application to prevent the British public from hearing criticisms of the special forces, but abandoned that ambition on 3 July 2023.

Minister of State for Veterans' Affairs Johnny Mercer gave oral evidence to the inquiry on 21 February 2024.

Potential Afghan witnesses
Hundreds of former members of the Afghan Territorial Force (ATF) 444 and Commando Force (CF) 333 that were part of the Ministry of Interior Affairs General Command of Police Special Units who were trained by and fought alongside UK Special Forces have been refused resettlement to the UK. One former UK Special Forces officer told the BBC that "At a time when certain actions by UK Special Forces are under investigation by a public inquiry, their headquarters also had the power to prevent former Afghan Special Forces colleagues and potential witnesses to these actions from getting safely to the UK."