Australia looking to compensate Afghanistan war crime victims’ families

Australia’s defence department originally set late last year as a deadline for deciding on a compensation system for war crimes committed in Afghanistan, but the issue was unresolved by the time Labor won government in May. Photograph: LS Paul Berry

The Albanese government is looking to compensate families of victims of alleged Afghanistan war crimes, more than two years after a landmark inquiry found payments should be offered quickly to restore “Australia’s standing”.

Guardian Australia can reveal the deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, has received a number of briefings from officials about compensation, one of the key outstanding recommendations of the Brereton report he is examining.