Four Czech soldiers will be tried for alleged crimes related to the death of an Afghan man during interrogation in 2018, the prosecutor's office in Prague said, quoted by "Reuters", BTA reports.
The soldiers are accused of extortion, insubordination, failure to comply with statutory duties in guarding detainees and failure to provide assistance. If found guilty, they face life sentences. The names of the defendants are not being disclosed.
The Czech Ministry of Defense declined to comment, and a lawyer for three of the defendants stressed that his clients have categorically denied all charges since the beginning of the investigation.
According to Czech National Radio, the case is related to the death of 19-year-old Wahidullah Khan, who attacked Czech soldiers at a base in the Shindand region of Afghanistan in 2018. One Czech soldier was killed and two others were injured in the attack.
The incident became known after The New York Times reported that Khan was detained by American and Czech soldiers and subjected to a beating, as a result of which he died.
Czech forces have participated in missions in Afghanistan from 2002 to 2021.