Abdul Razaq Arif

Facts

Abdul Razaq Arif is a dual Afghan and Dutch citizen. He is alleged to have been the commander and the head of the Department of Political Affairs of the Pul-e-Charki prison in Kabul in the 1980s. The prison was reportedly notorious for its inhumane regimen during the Soviet-Afghan war, with detainees being illegally imprisoned, tortured and subjected to inhumane and degrading treatment, as well as executed. According to the Dutch Public Prosecutor, investigators of the International Crimes Team have received dozens of witness statements testifying to Abdul Razaq Arif’s involvement in the crimes.

Procedure

On 12 November 2019, the Dutch police arrested Arif on suspicion of war crimes. He reportedly arrived in the Netherlands in 2001 and later obtained Dutch nationality.

In 2020, the prosecutors have reportedly gathered witness statements from victims and former employees in the Afghan communist government, demonstrating that the suspect worked in three different positions at the Pul-e-Charki prison. The trial should start in late 2021 before the District Court of The Hague.