ICC war-crimes prosecutor seeks investigation into Afghanistan

AMSTERDAM - 3 November 2017: The chief prosecutor for the International Criminal Court said Friday she's seeking approval to open a formal investigation into allegations of war crimes in Afghanistan, in a case that could examine the role of US forces abroad.

Fatou Bensouda was quoted by CBC News as saying in a statement there is a "reasonable basis to believe" war crimes and crimes against humanity were committed and that all sides in the conflict would be examined.

The prosecutor will focus on crimes allegedly committed since May 2003 in Afghanistan, and war crimes closely linked to the situation in that country committed on the territory of other states since July 2002.

The prosecutor on Friday did not mention any specific parties to be investigated.

In a report last year, ICC prosecutors identified "potential cases" among three groups of alleged perpetrators: The Taliban and its affiliates,
Afghan authorities, and Members of the U.S. Armed Forces and Central Intelligence Agency.

There were preliminary grounds to believe US forces committed war crimes in Afghanistan and at CIA detention facilities elsewhere in 2003 and 2004, it said.