Defence aware Afghan killer Hekmatullah was likely released as Kabul fell to Taliban
Defence officials were aware rogue Afghan soldier Hekmatullah, who murdered three Australians in 2012, was likely released from Qatari house arrest two months ago.
National
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More than 26,000 desperate Afghans are anxiously waiting Australia to grant them visas to flee the country as the Taliban becomes “increasingly interested” in people with a connection to the west.
Australia received the staggering number of visa applications - more than eight times the number of places initially allocated to Afghan nationals - in just the four weeks since Australian Defence Force (ADF) and government personnel left the capital Kabul.
Speaking before a Senate committee into Australia’s involvement in Afghanistan, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) officials also confirmed at least 286 Australian citizens and permanent residents remained in Afghanistan.
Australia’s special representative on Afghanistan Daniel Sloper said documentation was “increasingly key” for Afghans trying to flee the Taliban.
“A range of coalition partners, including Australia, are assessing those (visa) applications and looking to assist whenever we can to provide documentation but as you would expect, the Taliban is increasingly interested in those cohorts so we need to manage that risk.”
It was also revealed the ADF were aware Hekmatullah, a rogue Afghan soldier who murdered Australians Lance Corporal Stjepan “Rick” Milosevic, Private Robert Po and Sapper James Martin in 2012, was likely released from house arrest two months ago.
ADF chief General Angus Campbell said on August 18 Defence officials notified the victims’ families that Hekmatullah “may have been released or may be about to be released from Qatari custody”.
“We followed up again this weekend, believing that he had been released from custody,” he said.
General Campbell also confirmed Defence knew of negotiations between the United States and the Taliban, which resulted in the release of Hekmatullah.
DFAT assistant secretary and former head of mission in Kabul Geoff Tooth said Australia had made “around 180” diplomatic representations on the issue of Hekmatullah in recent years at all levels of government.
During the hearing officials were grilled over Australia’s decision to shut its embassy in Kabul in April 2021.
General Campbell said it would have been a “worst case scenario” to have left the embassy in Kabul going, only to have to “rescue” staff as the security situation deteriorated.
The senate committee also heard Australia granted 172 locally engaged employee (LEE) visas covering 760 people between April and August this year.
But Gap Veterans and Legal Services advocate Dr Kay Danes said more could have been done to help Afghan security guards who protected Australia’s embassy, but did not qualify for LEE visas as they were not directly employed by the government.
“There was sufficient time before Kabul fell in August for those embassy guards to secure documentation or secure visas when the embassies were still open to allow them an opportunity to evacuate,” she said.
DFAT officials said of the 4100 people Australia evacuated from Afghanistan in August, two-thirds were women and children.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison previously announced Australia would take at least 3,000 additional Afghans under humanitarian visas this financial year.
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