The Regional Court in Brno has confirmed that four members of the Czech Republic’s elite 601st Special Forces Group have been formally indicted in connection with the death of an Afghan detainee following an interrogation in 2018.
The case, which has drawn significant public and media attention, is being handled under a special judicial regime due to its sensitive nature.
“I can confirm that the Regional Court in Brno has accepted the indictment in this matter,” court spokesperson Klára Belkovová told iRozhlas.cz on Tuesday. “Last week, it was filed by the Regional State Prosecutor’s Office in Brno. Given the classified regime of this matter, I cannot provide any further information at this time.”
The charges pertain to an incident back in the fall of 2018 at an Afghan military base in Sindand, Herat Province. During a deployment, Afghan soldier Khan opened fire on Czech personnel, fatally shooting dog handler Tomáš Procházka and injuring two others. Khan was subsequently apprehended and held by Western forces, where he was reportedly interrogated by both Czech and U.S. soldiers and allegedly severely mistreated during custody.
Six U.S. military personnel have already been sentenced for assaulting the man during the interrogation, all receiving a reprimand which deprived them of the right to promotion and will see their military benefits revoked upon leaving the armed forces.
The man was eventually handed back to Afghan authorities. He died shortly afterward in hospital.
It was previously reported that the interrogation of Khan, lasting approximately 20 minutes, involved audible “screams of pain,” according to an Afghan interpreter working with U.S. forces.
The Czech soldiers allegedly filmed and photographed the interrogation, later deleting the material. Investigators were able to retrieve the files, which have since become key pieces of evidence.
Charges against the four soldiers include extortion, disobeying military orders, breach of guard duty, and failure to render assistance — offenses that, under Czech criminal law, carry severe penalties, including potential life imprisonment if committed under combat conditions with aggravating factors.
The identities of the accused soldiers have not been publicly disclosed.
