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18/07/2005
Afghan warlord found guilty of torture
In what has been described as a ‘landmark’ case, Afghan warlord Faryadi Zardad has been found guilty of torture and hostage taking, following a retrial which saw witnesses giving evidence via video link from another country.
The conviction follows a lengthy police investigation which tracked the warlord’s victims across Afghanistan, where Zardad, 42, maintained control of the road between the Afghan capital Kabul and the city of Jalalabad.
Fleeing the regime change, Zardad left Afghanistan in 1998, and arrived in Britain using a forged passport, where he sought asylum. He took up residence in Streatham, south London, but dropped his application when he learned that his activities in Afghanistan were being investigated. However, in 2004, when the case was first brought to trial, the jury was unable to agree.
During the retrial, the court heard that during the 1990s, "Commander Zardad" commanded a group of soldiers who demanded money or supplies from travellers making the journey along the unprotected Kabul-Jalalabad road. In order to enforce compliance, it was alleged that Zardad ordered his men to commit what the prosecution described as “indiscriminate and unwarranted violence”.
The jury heard evidence from a variety of witnesses, whose testimony was beamed into the courtroom from the embassy in Kabul, following a change in the law to allow video evidence to be admitted in a trial of this nature.
Many people came forward to describe how they had been beaten or taken hostage by Zardad’s gang, with some alleging that the warlord kept a ‘human dog’ in the form of a mentally ill man, who he had trained to maul prisoners.
Zardad, who had denied all charges, was found guilty of conspiring to torture and take hostages - he will be sentenced on Tuesday.
(CL/SP)
The conviction follows a lengthy police investigation which tracked the warlord’s victims across Afghanistan, where Zardad, 42, maintained control of the road between the Afghan capital Kabul and the city of Jalalabad.
Fleeing the regime change, Zardad left Afghanistan in 1998, and arrived in Britain using a forged passport, where he sought asylum. He took up residence in Streatham, south London, but dropped his application when he learned that his activities in Afghanistan were being investigated. However, in 2004, when the case was first brought to trial, the jury was unable to agree.
During the retrial, the court heard that during the 1990s, "Commander Zardad" commanded a group of soldiers who demanded money or supplies from travellers making the journey along the unprotected Kabul-Jalalabad road. In order to enforce compliance, it was alleged that Zardad ordered his men to commit what the prosecution described as “indiscriminate and unwarranted violence”.
The jury heard evidence from a variety of witnesses, whose testimony was beamed into the courtroom from the embassy in Kabul, following a change in the law to allow video evidence to be admitted in a trial of this nature.
Many people came forward to describe how they had been beaten or taken hostage by Zardad’s gang, with some alleging that the warlord kept a ‘human dog’ in the form of a mentally ill man, who he had trained to maul prisoners.
Zardad, who had denied all charges, was found guilty of conspiring to torture and take hostages - he will be sentenced on Tuesday.
(CL/SP)
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19 July 2005
Faryadi Zardad sentenced to 20 years imprisonment
Afghan warlord Faryadi Zardad has been sentenced to 20 years in jail, after being found guilty of torture and hostage taking, following a landmark case which involved evidence being given via video link from another country. Zardad, 42, was handed two 20-year terms, set to run concurrently.
Faryadi Zardad sentenced to 20 years imprisonment
Afghan warlord Faryadi Zardad has been sentenced to 20 years in jail, after being found guilty of torture and hostage taking, following a landmark case which involved evidence being given via video link from another country. Zardad, 42, was handed two 20-year terms, set to run concurrently.
23 November 2004
Straw welcomes release of British hostage
Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has welcomed the release of three UN workers, including one Briton, who had been held hostage in Afghanistan for almost a month. The hostages, which included Northern Ireland woman Annetta Flanigan, had been working with the UN Development Programme on the country's first ever presidential elections.
Straw welcomes release of British hostage
Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has welcomed the release of three UN workers, including one Briton, who had been held hostage in Afghanistan for almost a month. The hostages, which included Northern Ireland woman Annetta Flanigan, had been working with the UN Development Programme on the country's first ever presidential elections.
07 August 2009
Paras Killed In Afghanistan Blast
Three British soldiers have been killed by a roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced today. The servicemen from the Parachute Regiment, died after their Jackal armoured vehicle was hit by an explosion and small-arms fire north of Lashkar Gah in Helmand province on Thursday afternoon.
Paras Killed In Afghanistan Blast
Three British soldiers have been killed by a roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced today. The servicemen from the Parachute Regiment, died after their Jackal armoured vehicle was hit by an explosion and small-arms fire north of Lashkar Gah in Helmand province on Thursday afternoon.
20 July 2010
Afganistan Victims' Bodies Flown Home
The bodies of four British servicemen killed by a rogue Afghan soldier have been repatriated today. Major James Bowman, Lieutenant Neal Turkington and Corporal Arjun Purja Pun, all of 1st Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles, were killed at their base in Helmand Province on Monday last week.
Afganistan Victims' Bodies Flown Home
The bodies of four British servicemen killed by a rogue Afghan soldier have been repatriated today. Major James Bowman, Lieutenant Neal Turkington and Corporal Arjun Purja Pun, all of 1st Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles, were killed at their base in Helmand Province on Monday last week.
24 June 2010
Road Crash Kills Four In Afghanistan
There was further tragedy for British forces this week as four soldiers have been killed in a road accident in Afghanistan. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has confirmed that the soldiers, part of a police advisory team, were killed near Gereshk, Helmand province, on Wednesday evening.
Road Crash Kills Four In Afghanistan
There was further tragedy for British forces this week as four soldiers have been killed in a road accident in Afghanistan. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has confirmed that the soldiers, part of a police advisory team, were killed near Gereshk, Helmand province, on Wednesday evening.
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