Operation Cestro refers to a specific Royal Military Police investigation into alleged Extra Judicial Killings during a Deliberate Detention Operation in Afghanistan. This phase of evidence will seek to address the events surrounding a meeting that took place in February 2015 between the Royal Military Police and UKSF, not the investigation in its entirety. The evidence will seek to address the following issues:
- Whether there were any agree conditions, whether formal or informal, in relation to the meeting;
- Specifically, whether there was any agreement or understanding, or basis for such, in advance of the meeting, that the Royal Military Police were not permitted to speak to Solider J at the meeting;
- Who terminated the meeting;
- Why the meeting was terminated;
- Whether the meeting was terminated with the intention of obstructing the Royal Military Police’s investigation into the operation on 18th October 2010, or for some other reason;
- What happened in the immediate aftermath of the meeting.
Further evidence relating to Operation Cestro and/or the Objective may be called at a later date.
These hearings were held in CLOSED.
The Inquiry has published Directions by the Chair in respect of Soldier C who declined to answer substantive questions by Counsel on the grounds of his privilege against self-incrimination. Core Participants were invited to provide written submissions by 1600 on Friday 28 March 2025.
Directions
DIRECTIONS MADE UPON THE CONCLUSION OF THE ‘POTENTIAL OBSTRUCTION OF OPERATION CESTRO’ HEARINGS