Former Army Translator Claims Canadian Troops Shot Innocent Man

By William Miller

Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

OTTAWA, Canada – A former translator for the Canadian Army claimed that Canadian Forces shot and killed an unarmed seventeen year old boy in Afghanistan. Malgarai Ahmadshah Further claimed that the troops then attempted to cover it up by rounding up ten innocent civilians and arresting them.

Ahmadshah’s claims were made on Wednesday before a parliamentary committee investigating whether the Canadian Army transferred Afghani prisoners into the custody of Afghani officials despite knowing that those prisoners would be subjected to torture. Transferring prisoners knowing that they will be subjected to torture as a result of the transfer is a war crime.

Ahmadshah was in Afghanistan with the Canadian military for thirteen months in 2007 and 2008 and served under General Guy Laroche. During that time he served as a translator who interpreted for Afghani prisoners.

Ahmadshah testified that in the summer of 2007 Canadian troops shot and killed a seventeen year old unarmed boy in Kandahar Afghanistan. The troops shot the boy in the head because they thought he had a gun.

After realizing the boy did not have a gun the soldiers panicked and began rounding up civilians in the area and arresting them. The prisoners ranged in age between ten and ninety.

“None of the detainees were Taliban. None did anything wrong except to be at home when the Canadian Forces murdered their neighbor. Yet Canada transferred all these innocent men to the NDS. I don’t know what happened to them” said Ahmadshah.

Ahmadshah admitted that he did not see the incident first hand. He only heard about it from the prisoners. He also admitted that he could not prove any of his allegations.

It is not clear whether Ahmadshah plans to take any action against the federal government himself. His lawyer advised him not to comment. Ahmadshah refused to repeat his comments after the hearing. He also made allegations that top ranking military officials knew that transferred prisoners were being tortured and did nothing about it.

For more information, please see:

AFP – General Vows Probe into Alleged Handover of Afghan Detainees – 15 April 2010

Canadian Press – Explosive Claim from Translator: Canada Troops Tried to Cover up Killing – 15 April 2010

Toronto Sun – Former Interpreter says Military Knew About Torture – 14 April 2010

Author: Impunity Watch Archive