UK special forces evidence may trigger criminal trials over Afghanistan detainee deaths
Evidence uncovered by the SAS Inquiry suggests UK special forces could face murder or manslaughter charges for detention operations in Afghanistan between 2010 and 2013.
Court filings reveal that material gathered by the SAS Inquiry has been passed to the Defence Serious Crime Unit, a specialist military police unit created in 2022 to handle the most serious offences. The evidence relates to multiple detention operations carried out by UK special forces in Afghanistan from 2010 to 2013 and could support charges of murder or manslaughter under Schedule 2 of the Armed Forces Act. While the DSCU has started a scoping exercise, it has suspended any full criminal investigation until the independent inquiry finishes.
The Ministry of Defence considers it unsuitable to pursue prosecutions while the inquiry remains active. The inquiry, established in 2022 after long-running one outlet's reports, is also being challenged by a senior British officer who has been granted permission for a judicial review after his legal team was barred from closed-door hearings with whistleblowers.
Why it matters
Potential prosecutions could hold senior military personnel accountable for alleged war crimes in Afghanistan.
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