Warsaw - Seven Polish soldiers accused of killing Afghan civilians took the stand on Tuesday in what was the first trial in Polish history on violating the Hague and Geneva conventions. The court ruled to close the proceedings off to the media, saying it could lead to "dramatization" of the case and that the hall was too small to hold journalists.
Prosecutors claim to have strong evidence that the soldiers unlawfully killed civilians in the Afghan village of Nangar Khel in August 2007. They say the villagers posed no threat and the soldiers knowingly fired into building that contained civilians.
"It's a unique trial, not only in Poland but also in Europe or even in the world," a court spokesman told the daily Gazeta Wyborcza. "The last such case to have found its way to court was probably in relation to US Army activities in Vietnam."
The incident occurred after the Polish soldiers came under fire from Taliban forces, and one Polish vehicle was hit in the exchange.
Prosecutors say the situation later calmed down enough for the soldiers to begin cooking a meal. In the meantime, one group began firing on the village with machine guns and then threw grenades, prosecutors said.
Six people died in the shooting, including two women, three children and a man getting ready for his wedding, reported the Polish Press Agency PAP. Three other persons were wounded.
The soldiers claim they misfired because of faulty mortar and ammunition.
Six of them are accused of killing civilians and face up to life in jail. The seventh faces charges of firing into an undefended object, and faces up to 15 years in jail, PAP reported.
