NGO Condemn Sweden's Participation in NATO Drone Killings in Afghanistan

Swedish military participation in US-led NATO drone strikes in Afghanistan is illegal and should be stopped, Swedish Doctors for Human Rights, a non-profit campaigning against war crimes, said.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — US media reported in September that Sweden, a non-NATO ally of the United States, was directly taking part in drone airstrikes on alleged Afghan insurgents, despite security deals that prohibited it from being involved in counter-terror operations. Sweden can provide soldiers to NATO missions in support roles.

In a statement on Thursday, the Swedish NGO argued that the reported presence of Swedish officers during discussions of so-called kill orders was against Sweden's stance as a non-aligned country.

The activists suggest that their revelations prove that Swedish military involvement in Afghanistan goes far beyond the level authorized by the government and was probably done behind Stockholm's back.

Swedish doctors stressed that NATO airstrikes in Afghanistan had increased the suffering of civilians in the country. Afghanistan has seen a large outflow of people in recent years.

Almost 6,000 Afghan refugees have asked for asylum in Sweden since the start of 2015, data provided by the rights group shows. The number is almost double that of the same statistic in 2014.

Earlier this year, Swedish Doctors for Human Rights condemned a rising death toll among civilians mistakenly targeted by NATO airstrikes in Afghanistan. It cited multiple US media reports of US and European hostages killed during drone missions.