The International Criminal Court (ICC) has announced it will not investigate possible war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the United States and other actors in Afghanistan. The court suggested the U.S.’s lack of cooperation with the investigation was behind the decision. Earlier this month, the U.S. revoked the visa of the ICC’s chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda. A 2016 report by the ICC accused the U.S. military of torturing at least 61 prisoners in Afghanistan during the ongoing war. The report also accused the CIA of subjecting at least 27 prisoners to torture, including rape, at CIA prison sites in Afghanistan, Poland, Romania and Lithuania. We speak to Katherine Gallagher, senior staff attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now! I’m Amy Goodman, with Juan González.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Well, the International Criminal Court has announced it will not investigate possible war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the United States and other actors in Afghanistan. The court suggested the U.S.’s lack of cooperation with the investigation was behind the decision. Earlier this month, the U.S. government revoked the visa of the ICC‘s chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda. This came after the Trump administration announced it would bar entry to any ICCinvestigators probing alleged war crimes by the U.S. military in Afghanistan.
AMY GOODMAN: A 2016 report by the International Criminal Court accused the U.S. military of torturing at least 61 prisoners in Afghanistan during the ongoing war. The report also accused the CIA of subjecting at least 27 prisoners to torture, including rape, at CIA prison sites in Afghanistan, Poland, Romania and Lithuania.
For more, we’re joined by Katherine Gallagher, a senior staff attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights. She filed victims’ representations with the Pre-Trial Chamber in support of the investigation.
Welcome to Democracy Now! What’s happened here?
KATHERINE