BEIJING, December 20 (INP) The US military should be held accountable for killing civilians around the World, including Afghanistan.

This was stated by a spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry Wang Wenbi. He was replying to a question, in which it had been stated that a few days ago, the Pentagon decided not to impose any form of punishment on military personnel who took part in the Kabul drone strike that killed 10 civilians in Afghanistan. However, earlier this year, a former US Air Force intelligence analyst who saw the killing of Afghan civilians by US drone strike was sentenced to 45 months in prison for disclosing relevant information to a report

The spokesperson said, “What questioner just said makes a mockery of the US claim of defending democracy, human rights and rule of law.

US military personnel that killed Afghan civilians were granted impunity while the person who revealed the truth was criminalized. US troops that committed war crimes in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria were not prosecuted while Julian Assange, a publisher who exposed these crimes, may face life imprisonment.

The innocent Afghan civilians killed by the US drone strike will never see the world again and their families have to cope with the agonizing loss of their loved ones, while the perpetrators remain beyond the reach of justice. This is the harsh reality of the American-style democracy and human rights.”

The spokesperson further said, “the US should be condemned even more for concealing the truth in various means and silencing “whistle-blowers”.

We all on the international community to take action and investigate US military’s crimes that trample on international rule of law and murder innocent civilians, hold the perpetrators accountable, and uphold justice, to make sure the human rights of people in all countries, especially developing countries, are earnestly safeguarded and guaranteed.

INP/JAVED