The Taliban have executed a brave Afghan army officer who worked as an interpreter for the Australian Defense Force, leaving his scared wife and children in grave danger and asking to be evacuated to Australia.
Since the Taliban recaptured Afghanistan with the withdrawal of US soldiers in August, the father had been frantically attempting to get a humanitarian visa for himself and his family. They had missed the initial wave of evacuations because Australian officials had not informed them that they were eligible.
Family of executed Afghan interpreter fear for their safety
On Wednesday, his sister, who resides in Australia, reported that her brother was just executed through the family's lawyer. Before aiding Australian forces stationed in Afghanistan, the victim spent years as an officer in the Afghan army.
The family has looked into various options for obtaining the humanitarian visa, including contacting Australian troops with whom he worked in Afghanistan to support their application.
However, when they contacted the ADF, they advised them that for safety concerns, they would not be able to provide the names of his former colleagues and close acquaintances, as per Daily Mail.
Following the execution of an interpreter, Australia's Immigration Minister, Alex Hawke, has pledged to continue transporting Afghans who served with Australian soldiers in Afghanistan safely out of the country.
A former Afghan army officer who served as an interpreter for the Australian Defense Force was recently slain. The translator had been waiting for an Australian humanitarian visa with his wife and children, who are now in hiding, SBS reported.
Due to security concerns, Hawke declined to comment on the specific instance but said the government was still attempting to evacuate individuals from the Taliban-controlled territory securely.
According to Sharhi Rafi, the lawyer representing the Afghan translator's family, they are in grave danger. Last week, a Senate committee learned that Afghan nationals seeking to escape the country had submitted more than 26,000 applications to the federal authorities.
In August, the government declared that out of the 13,750 humanitarian spots available, 3000 would be granted to Afghan citizens. Following the Taliban takeover in August, 4100 individuals were evacuated, with two-thirds of them women and children.
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Another Afghan interpreter says Taliban has "no mercy"
Aman Khalili, an Afghan translator who assisted in the rescue of Joe Biden in 2008, recently left Afghanistan with the assistance of US veterans after hiding for weeks in fear of his life. Khalili went on "Fox & Friends First" to discuss the threats that the Taliban's crackdown policies pose to US allies in the war-torn country.
While the State Department estimates that approximately 100 Americans are still trapped in Afghanistan as of mid-September, it is unknown how many American citizens and allies are still in the war-torn country.
Per Fox News, the Biden administration has been chastised for not doing enough to assist residents and allies fleeing the country. Despite this, several veteran organizations have arranged private rescue missions for individuals who still want to flee.
According to Khalili, many individuals are in similar positions, including other Afghan interpreters who still require assistance fleeing the country. Khalili and his family escaped Afghanistan last week, arriving in Islamabad before traveling to Doha. He detailed the perilous trek he and his family took to Pakistan, covering hundreds of kilometers searching for protection.
After their Black Hawk helicopters were forced to land due to severe weather in 2008, Khalili was part of a squad deployed to rescue many US senators, including Joe Biden.
