Accessibility links

Breaking News

Hague Court Convicts Ex-Afghan Intelligence Officers


The Hague, 17 October 2005 (RFE/RL) -- A Dutch court today convicted two former Afghan intelligence officials of torture and war crimes.

Hesamuddin Hesam and Habibullah Jalalzoy were sentenced to 12 and nine years in jail for war crimes committed in Afghanistan during the Soviet occupation of the country. Both men were working for the military intelligence services under
the communist regime.

Hesam directed the service from 1982 until 1990. Jalalzoy led one of the service's interrogation units. Dutch prosecutors estimated that 200,000 political opponents were tortured by various branches of the Afghan intelligence during communist rule. About 50,000 are believed to have been killed.

(RFE/RL's Afghan Service, Dutch national police agency)

For more news about events in Afghanistan, see RFE/RL's webpage News and Features on Afghanistan

RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.

If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.

To find out more, click here.

XS
SM
MD
LG