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)

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