SAS PROBE EVIDENCE REFERRED TO MILITARY POLICE OVER AFGHANISTAN

UK special forces personnel could face prosecution after evidence uncovered during inquiries by the Independent Inquiry relating to Afghanistan was passed to military police, according to court proceedings held on Monday. The material, which officials say suggests serious offences may have been committed in Afghanistan, marks the first time the inquiry has publicly acknowledged that its findings could lead to criminal charges. UK Special Forces (UKSF) made the referral earlier this year, a step required under the Armed Forces Act wherever evidence points to a Schedule 2 serious offence, a category that includes murder and manslaughter. The material relates to a number of detention operations carried out by British personnel in Afghanistan between 2010 and 2013.

The Ministry of Defence says it identified the evidence this year following work carried out as part of the inquiry, before UKSF passed it to the Defence Serious Crime Unit (DSCU), a specialist military police unit established in 2022 to handle the most serious alleged crimes. Court documents obtained by the BBC indicate the DSCU has carried out a scoping exercise on the material but has paused any criminal investigation until the inquiry concludes. The Ministry of Defence told the BBC it considered it inappropriate to pursue criminal investigations while the inquiry remains under way. The inquiry itself is examining allegations that the British Army's Special Air Service unlawfully killed people during detention operations in Afghanistan between 2010 and 2013, and that senior officials sought to conceal the true circumstances of those killings.

BBC's Panorama programme has investigated allegations that the SAS executed handcuffed civilians and children for more than eight years. The referral means any formal criminal investigation into UK special forces conduct will not proceed until the Independent Inquiry relating to Afghanistan completes its examination of the alleged killings and any alleged cover-up. The Ministry of Defence and UKSF have not indicated when the inquiry is expected to conclude.