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Aug 05 2021
Calls for quick payment to Afghan families
By AAP Newswire
The families of Afghan people killed unlawfully by Australian soldiers should get full and prompt compensation, human rights groups in Afghanistan and Australia say.
The groups wrote to the federal government on Tuesday to outline their claims after the it published its official response to the Brereton inquiry.
The probe found credible allegations special forces troops committed 39 murders in Afghanistan.
The response from Defence says it will develop a whole of government response to the inquiry's 15 recommendations about compensation, and that more information about the response and the timeline will be available by the end of the year.
But human rights groups are urging Australia to act fast.
They say the government should start with prompt payment for the cases outlined in the Brereton inquiry, without waiting for criminal liability to be established.
Victims and their families should be told that reparations don't mean they are prevented from speaking about their experiences or giving evidence in future legal proceedings.
Compensation should not just go to the families of people who were unlawfully killed, but also to those who were the victims of cruel treatment, the groups say.
And compensation should not be limited to the cases identified in the Brereton report, as more stories continue to emerge.
The Brereton inquiry recommended that Australia provide compensation quickly, saying it would help to restore Australia's standing, both with the villagers concerned and at a national level.
The report also said it was the right thing to do.
The human rights groups are also calling for reparation beyond compensation, and say survivors should be consulted on what that looks like.
Hadi Marifat, Executive Director of the Afghanistan Human Rights and Democracy Organisation, said families had lost their breadwinners and needed to be compensated swiftly.
Mr Marifat said he had spoken with survivors and they were keen to be consulted on the form of a comprehensive reparations program.
""As the ADF completes its withdrawal from Afghanistan, Australia must make good on its obligations to the Afghan people," said Fiona Nelson, Senior Legal Advisor at the Australian Centre for International Justice.
"This includes ensuring that survivors of war crimes are treated with dignity and provided with effective and prompt reparation."
The letter to the government was also signed by the Conflict Analysis Network and the Transitional Justice Coordination Group.
Calls for quick payment to Afghan families
By AAP Newswire
The families of Afghan people killed unlawfully by Australian soldiers should get full and prompt compensation, human rights groups in Afghanistan and Australia say.
The groups wrote to the federal government on Tuesday to outline their claims after the it published its official response to the Brereton inquiry.
The probe found credible allegations special forces troops committed 39 murders in Afghanistan.
The response from Defence says it will develop a whole of government response to the inquiry's 15 recommendations about compensation, and that more information about the response and the timeline will be available by the end of the year.
But human rights groups are urging Australia to act fast.
They say the government should start with prompt payment for the cases outlined in the Brereton inquiry, without waiting for criminal liability to be established.
Victims and their families should be told that reparations don't mean they are prevented from speaking about their experiences or giving evidence in future legal proceedings.
Compensation should not just go to the families of people who were unlawfully killed, but also to those who were the victims of cruel treatment, the groups say.
And compensation should not be limited to the cases identified in the Brereton report, as more stories continue to emerge.
The Brereton inquiry recommended that Australia provide compensation quickly, saying it would help to restore Australia's standing, both with the villagers concerned and at a national level.
The report also said it was the right thing to do.
The human rights groups are also calling for reparation beyond compensation, and say survivors should be consulted on what that looks like.
Hadi Marifat, Executive Director of the Afghanistan Human Rights and Democracy Organisation, said families had lost their breadwinners and needed to be compensated swiftly.
Mr Marifat said he had spoken with survivors and they were keen to be consulted on the form of a comprehensive reparations program.
""As the ADF completes its withdrawal from Afghanistan, Australia must make good on its obligations to the Afghan people," said Fiona Nelson, Senior Legal Advisor at the Australian Centre for International Justice.
"This includes ensuring that survivors of war crimes are treated with dignity and provided with effective and prompt reparation."
The letter to the government was also signed by the Conflict Analysis Network and the Transitional Justice Coordination Group.
