Protesters in Afghanistan have demanded a trial of Prince Harry whose claim of having killed 25 Taliban fighters nine years ago has triggered a controversy.
The Duke of Sussex revealed the number in his memoir ‘Spare’, comparing the killing to removing “chess pieces” from a board.
Harry, who served in Afghanistan as an Apache helicopter copilot gunner in 2012-13, said the number neither satisfied nor embarrassed him.
Some 20 faculty members and students demonstrated at a university in Helmand province, carrying posters with Harry’s portrait with a red “x” across it, according to an Independent report.
“We condemn his action which is against all norms of humanity,” a protester told the Associated Press.
Mullah Abdullah, whose four family members died in what he called a British airstrike that hit his family home in Nahr-e-Saraj district, said: “We lost our house, life, and family members. We lost our livelihood and also our loved ones”.
“We ask the international community to put this person on trial, and we should get compensation for our losses.”
Sayed Ahmad Sayed, a teacher at the university, said the “cruelties” committed by Harry in Afghanistan were “unacceptable”.
Last week, senior Taliban leader Anas Haqqani criticised Harry, saying those killed by him were Afghans who had families.
“Mr Harry! The ones you killed were not chess pieces, they were humans,” Haqqani tweeted, alleging the prince had committed “war crimes”.
“The truth is what you’ve said; Our innocent people were chess pieces to your soldiers, military and political leaders… Still, you were defeated in that ‘game’,” he said.
Afghan government spokesman Bilal Karimi also slammed Harry for his remarks.
“Such crimes are not limited to Harry, but every occupying country has a history of such crimes in our country,” he said in a Twitter post.
