Dad Mohammad was an Afghan father-of-two who was shot and killed by Australian soldiers during the war in Afghanistan. Mohammad, who was unarmed, was accosted by a patrol looking for an insurgent bombmaker and mauled by the patrol's dog. The soldiers then forced Mohammad to lie flat on the ground, at which point one of the soldiers, identified as "Soldier C", shot him three times in the head.
| Killing of Dad Mohammad | |
|---|---|
| Location | Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan |
| Date | May 2012 |
Attack type | War crime |
| Victim | Dad Mohammad |
| Perpetrators | Special Air Service Regiment |
| Accused | Oliver Schulz |
| Charges | Murder |
The incident was investigated by the Australian Defence Force, who concluded that Mohammad had been killed in self-defence based on false testimony from the soldiers involved. Video footage of the shooting acquired by ABC TV was later broadcast as part of the documentary "Killing Field", leading to a renewed investigation. In March 2023, Australian SAS veteran Oliver Schulz was arrested and charged with murder for his alleged role in the shooting. The case is believed to be the first time an Australian soldier has faced charges for war crimes.
Victim
editDad Mohammad was 25 or 26 years old at the time of his death.[1] He was married with two daughters, and suffered from a medical condition that stunted growth in one leg.[2]
Incident
editIn May 2012, soldiers from 3-Squadron Special Air Service Regiment were dispatched to the Afghan village of Deh Jawz-e Hasanzai in search of a suspected insurgent. Two Black Hawk helicopters that were guiding the ground patrol spotted a suspicious figure in a wheat field ahead of the patrol's position. The patrol scout (referred to in the media as "Soldier C") headed into the field with a dog handler, whose helmet camera recorded the entire incident.[3] The dog handler released a patrol dog named Quake from its leash, and Quake immediately ran into the field.
The soldiers arrived in the field to discover Mohammad lying on the ground. Mohammad, holding what ABC reported were prayer beads, was being mauled by Quake.[4] Quake released Mohammad when called off by the handler. Soldier C then trained his gun on Mohammad, who did not move, and asked the handler if he should "drop this cunt". The handler told Soldier C to ask the patrol commander, who was nearby. Soldier C repeatedly asked the commander the same question; the commander's response is not audible in the recording.[1] Soldier C then shot Mohammad three times from a range of two metres.[5] In total, less than three minutes passed between the soldiers arriving and Mohammad's death.[6]
The shooting was witnessed by an Afghan farmer named Abdul Khaliq.[4] Several months after the incident, local authorities lodged a complaint with the ADF and demanded an investigation.[2] The investigators were told by Soldier C that he had fired from 15 metres away, and that Mohammad had been holding a radio. It was also claimed that Mohammad was "tactically manoeuvring" and had been shot in self-defence.[7] The ADF ultimately concluded that the shooting was lawful, and that Mohammad had posed a direct threat to the soldiers.[1]
Four Corners documentary
editOn 16 March 2020, the investigative TV program Four Corners released an episode entitled "Killing Field" which focussed on unlawful killings by Australian forces in Afghanistan. The episode included the helmet cam footage of Mohammad's shooting, which narrator Mark Willacy described as a war crime.[4] Former ADF chief Chris Barrie condemned the shooting as "a simple case of murder".[8]
The release of the footage prompted an investigation by the Australian Federal Police into Mohammad's death, which was later transferred to the Office of the Special Investigator after the release of the Brereton Report.[9]
Criminal charges
editOn 20 March 2023, former Australian soldier Oliver Schulz was arrested for war crimes.[10] He was remanded in custody and charged with one count of murder as a war crime relating to the killing of Dad Mohammad.[7][11] It was alleged that Schulz was Soldier C, the man depicted in the video who killed Mohammad. Schulz's arrest marked the first time an Australian soldier had been charged with a war crime.[10][12]
After his arrest, Schulz requested that he be released pending trial due to the possibility that Muslim extremists could harm him while in prison. Magistrate Jennifer Atkinson granted the request and he was released on March 28.[13] A committal hearing to decide whether there is enough evidence for the case to proceed has been scheduled for April 2025.[14]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Video captured by Australian soldier in Afghanistan may result in war crimes charges". Radio New Zealand. 17 March 2020.
- ^ a b Rubinsztein-Dunlop, Sean (29 March 2023). "Family of killed Afghan villager wants more ADF personnel to be brought to trial after arrest of former SAS soldier Oliver Schulz". Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
- ^ Sutton, Candace (20 March 2020). "Four Corners video: SAS soldier stood down over alleged killing of unarmed Afghan man". News.com.au.
- ^ a b c "Killing Field". Four Corners. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2020-03-16. Archived from the original on 2021-06-07. Retrieved 2021-06-09.
- ^ "Defence minister 'disturbed' over SAS video shooting". SBS News. 17 March 2020.
- ^ Willacy, Mark (16 March 2020). "Video shows Australian SAS soldier shooting and killing unarmed man at close range in Afghanistan".
- ^ a b "SAS veteran Oliver Schulz charged with war crime of murder over killing of Afghan man in field". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 20 March 2023.
- ^ "Former chief of Defence 'shocked' at video of Australian SAS soldier killing unarmed Afghan man". Australian Broadcasting Company. 17 March 2020.
- ^ Willacy, Mark (17 November 2020). "The inquiry into Australian soldiers in Afghanistan is finally over. The reckoning is about to begin". Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
- ^ a b Atkinson, Simon (20 March 2023). "Australian former SAS soldier Oliver Schulz held over alleged war crime in Afghanistan". BBC News.
- ^ Huitson, Joseph (20 March 2023). "Former Australian Defence Force soldier Oliver Schulz arrested and charged with one count of war crime in Afghanistan". Sky News.
- ^ Salisbury, Josh (20 March 2023). "Former Australian SAS soldier charged with murder over alleged war crimes in Afghanistan". Evening Standard.
- ^ "Australian soldier charged over Afghan killing freed on bail". The Associated Press. 28 March 2024.
- ^ Murray, Duncan (2 July 2024). "Hearing to test if landmark war-crime case can be tried". 9 News.