This is the first time any NATO member state has admitted involvement in the civilian deaths documented by the UN and human rights organisations.
For years families have been seeking answers about their loved ones but have struggled to deal with NATO - which argues that all strikes are conducted jointly, but then invokes immunity as a coalition. Altinget and Airwars tracked down the father of some of the victims, a man who twice tried and failed to sue NATO in Belgian courts.
This admission opens the door to potential compensation claims. The chief researcher for the UN investigation into civilian deaths caused by NATO called it a "deeply significant” scoop that shows “that a NATO member state reflected upon potential war crimes investigated by the UN and other entities." If it had been released earlier, he said, it would have been a “gold mine for accountability” and could have led to accountability for many of the civilians harmed.
Photo by Rasmus Westh
