Today, the State of the Netherlands announced that it will not be appealing the judgment rendered by the District Court of The Hague of 23 November 2022 in the case concerning the bombing of Chora (Uruzgan, Afghanistan) in mid-June 2007.
This means that the verdict will become final and that the victims and surviving relatives will receive compensation. The exact amount thereof will be determined.
In the context of the bombing of Chora, Dutch troops deployed (very) heavy weaponry in the night of 16 on 17 June 2007. The village of Qala-e-Ragh, located in the Chora area, where the claimants and their families lived, was also hit. Their quala -- a walled commune with a mosque -- was destroyed. At least 15 people were killed and 5 injured. In its judgment, the District Court of The Hague concluded that the Dutch State is responsible for the bombing, that the bombing of the quala was in violation of the international humanitarian law principle of distinction and that the bombing was therefore unlawful.
The plaintiffs are represented by lawyers Liesbeth Zegveld and Brechtje Vossenberg.
The letter of the Minister informing Parliament of this decision can be found here (in Dutch).
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