Dutch soldier who shot Peshmerga in 2015 to go to court

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – A Dutch soldier who accidentally shot a Peshmerga fighter while stationed in Erbil for training in 2015 will have to answer to the court in the Netherlands this week.

Twenty-nine-year-old sergeant Freedo V. was based in Erbil to train Peshmerga forces in 2015 when his gun accidentally discharged during one of the exercises, wounding a fighter in his upper body.

While the man survived the incident, V. will be prosecuted for “not following service rules and endangering others.”

On Tuesday, the lawsuit will examine whether he was allowed to use his service weapon while training with the Peshmerga. 

The offense carries a maximum of three years’ imprisonment and 19,000 euros ($21,000) fine.

V. was part of a group of Dutch soldiers sent to the Kurdistan Region to train soldiers and teach them how to operate as marksmen.

Following the six-week preparation, the trainees were immediately deployed in the fight against the Islamic State.

He will be the first Dutch soldier to be prosecuted for an on-mission incident in the Middle East.

The prosecution is also investigating two other incidents where F-16 pilots killed civilians during one of their raids.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany