Zardad Khan (aka Zardad Faryadi Sarwar and Commander Zardad) was an Afghan warlord accused of waging a campaign of murder, abductionss and torture in Afghanistan. He was arrested in London on July 14, 2003 by agents of the Scotland Yard's anti-terrorist branch. The following day he was formally charged with 16 offenses relating to his time as a military commander during the Afghan civil war in the early 1990s. He pleaded not guilty to each charge and is currently in custody. His trial is not expected to begin until October 4, 2004.
He was originally arrested May 10, 2003, but was released on bail.
Khan came to London in 2000 and ran a pizza parlor in Bexleyheath since then. He had applied for asylum.
During the early 1990s, Khan operated roadblocks in Sarobi, Afghanistan, one of the major routes into Kabul.
An example of Khan's brutality is given in the alleged story that one of his lieutenants, Abdullah Shah (aka "the human dog"), was used to bite prisoners. Large, hairy and educationally subnormal, he was kept in a cave with a chain around his neck by Mr Khan.
He is charged with nine counts under section 134 (1) of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 that, as a military commander in the Sarobi region of Afghanistan, he tortured or gave orders for torture to be carried out as part of his official duties. Note: This marks the first time the international convention on torture has been used in a prosecution.
He faces five counts under section 1(1) of the Taking of Hostages Act 1982, that he detained a hostage and held them to ransom, threatening them with death if money was not forthcoming.
He is charged with one count under section 1(1) of the Criminal Law Act 1977 that he plotted with others to carry out or order torture.
He is further charged under section 1(1) of the Criminal Law Act 1977 that he plotted with others to take a hostage.
