The Czech Republic has dropped a criminal investigation into four soldiers in connection with allegations of torturing an Afghan during a mission in Afghanistan - a measure ordered by President Petr Pavel, DPA reported, BTA reported.
Pavel - a former NATO general - took advantage of a provision in the constitution to drop the investigations, his office announced yesterday. The president did this in response to requests for clemency from the accused, the statement also said.
The Czech Republic participated in the NATO mission in Afghanistan from 2002 to 2021. The accusations date back to 2018, when an Afghan shot and killed a Czech soldier at a military base and seriously wounded two others. After his arrest, he was questioned by four members of a Czech special forces unit and by American soldiers, the CTK news agency reported.
The man was taken to a military field hospital shortly afterwards, where he died.
The Czech prosecutor's office filed charges against the four servicemen in April. Two of them are accused of coercion and insubordination, and the other two of failing to provide assistance and breaching their military duties.
A presidential spokesman justified the decision, citing, among other things, the “exceptional nature of the military situation“, the “difficult international context“ and the length of the investigation.