COPENHAGEN, Jan 18 (AFP) - The Danish military Tuesday closed a probe into claims that US soldiers tortured and murdered prisoners in Afghanistan in early 2002, saying a Danish interpreter's allegations could not be substantiated.
The interpreter, who worked with US forces at the Camp Kandahar Detention Centre in Afghanistan from January 17 to February 8, 2002, filed suit against the Danish defense ministry in December 2003 demanding compensation for psychological distress he said he had suffered by witnessing the soldiers torture and murder prisoners there.
But Danish military investigators said Tuesday they "were unable to confirm the interpreter's information about the mistreatment of detainees, neither by Americans nor Danes," said Niels Christiansen, deputy chief of Denmark's judge advocate corps which handled the Danish investigation.
"The conclusion is that there is no evidence to pursue this investigation, which is now closed," Christiansen said.
Danish Defense Minister Soeren Gade ordered the inquiry in June. US authorities, twice asked to respond to the claims, questioned US troops at Camp Kandahar and ultimately rejected the interpreter's claims.
Meanwhile, Danish investigators questioned several witnesses in Denmark, including the head of the Danish contingent in Afghanistan and a Danish military doctor.
"They visited the camp several times and said they never saw any signs of the violations described by the interpreter," Christiansen said.
01/18/2005 17:14 GMT - AFP