THE HAGUE -- War crimes prosecutors at the International Criminal Court at The Hague said Friday (November 3) that they will seek permission to launch a full-scale investigation into crimes committed in Afghanistan.
"In due course, I will file my request for judicial authorisation to open an investigation, submitting that there is a reasonable basis to believe that war crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed in connection with the armed conflict in Afghanistan," chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said in a statement.
The legal criteria for an investigation were met after a meticulous preliminary examination, said Bensouda.
Bensouda blamed the Taliban and its allies for the deaths of about 17,000 civilians from 2007-2015, during which "numerous attacks" hit schools, hospitals and mosques.
