Dutch military reported 28 possible war crimes by allies in Afghanistan, but did not investigate

Dutch intelligence officers documented 28 instances of potential war crimes committed by allied military forces during missions in Afghanistan. These reports were submitted to their superiors, but the Netherlands reportedly did not investigate them or share the information with the implicated allies.

The Ministry of Defence has stated it lacks knowledge of what became of these reports at the time and is not currently pursuing an investigation. This position was communicated in response to inquiries from NRC following a parliamentary letter from Defense Minister Dilan Yesilgöz. The minister's letter addressed internal reviews of records from two decades of Afghanistan missions.

According to the Geneva Conventions, countries are obligated to investigate suspected war crimes or urge the involved nation to do so. The Dutch reports primarily concerned Afghan soldiers (thirteen reports) and personnel from two unnamed coalition partners (fourteen reports). One report's details regarding the involved country remain unclear.

Minister Yesilgöz recently stated that the Netherlands shared the reports with the two implicated countries, leaving the responsibility for further action to them. The reports concerning Afghan troops were not shared with Afghanistan due to the absence of official diplomatic relations. The Ministry emphasized that Dutch units themselves were not implicated in any violations of humanitarian law in these reports.