**The Killing and Execution of Foreign Citizens during the Reign of Ghazi Amanullah Khan**

**The Killing and Execution of Foreign Citizens during the Reign of Ghazi Amanullah Khan**  

Author: Dr. Najibullah Anwar

Dr. Fritz Grobba, a German diplomat, was the first chargé d'affaires and the highest-ranking diplomatic official from the German government at the court of His Majesty Amanullah Khan. Dr. Grobba had close relations with Amanullah Khan. According to him, his first meeting with the king took place without a translator and in Turkish. His mission included strengthening Afghan-German relations, supporting the king’s reforms, reducing Afghanistan's dependency on Britain, and preventing Soviet influence.

In 1967, Grobba wrote a book in German titled **"Men and Powers in the East: 25 Years of Diplomatic Service in the East"**. This book, based on his personal observations in Afghanistan and documents from the German embassy and foreign ministry, briefly covers the killings that occurred during Ghazi Amanullah Khan’s reign.

**Case 1: Piperno**  

This is one of the interesting historical incidents in the relations between Afghanistan and foreign countries in the early 20th century. Piperno, an Italian telecommunications engineer and a highly irritable individual, had conflicts with Afghan officials. These conflicts escalated into a physical altercation with postal officers, and the issue was brought to the Kabul police. He was summoned on June 27, 1924, but when he did not appear, the police entered his room. Piperno fired at the police, fatally wounding one officer. After the incident, Piperno was arrested and imprisoned.

Since Afghan law at the time did not clearly differentiate between intentional and unintentional murder, and the punishment for either was execution, it was expected that his sentence could be commuted to imprisonment if the victim’s family pardoned him. Through the German embassy, the Italian representative contacted the victim’s family and secured their forgiveness. However, the Afghan court still sentenced Piperno to death.

The Afghan government decided to hand Piperno over to the victim’s family, allowing them to decide his fate. The family accepted financial compensation in exchange for pardoning him, but the Afghan government re-imprisoned Piperno and sentenced him to 10 years in prison. In Ramadan of 1925, Piperno managed to escape from prison as the guards were busy breaking their fast. He headed toward Turkestan, where he got into an argument with a merchant, was recaptured, and brought back to Kabul. Later that year, he was executed, as the Afghan government ruled that the compensation paid to the victim's family was invalid and reinstated the death sentence. Piperno’s execution marked a critical point in Afghanistan's foreign relations with Italy.

**Case 2: Brustman and Hähnle**  

Brustman, an aircraft mechanic working for the Afghan government, had a friendly relationship with Mrs. Dr. Brandenburg. Dr. Brandenburg’s husband died in Herat on September 16, 1923, during a trip to Kabul. When Dr. Hähnle, a German engineer, arrived in Kabul to assist in the construction of a cement factory, Dr. Brandenburg showed interest in him. One night, when Hähnle attempted to enter Dr. Brandenburg's house, he encountered Brustman, who was armed with a pistol and prepared to attack. In self-defense, Hähnle shot and killed Brustman.

Dr. Grobba was informed of the incident and that night took the mechanic's body to the embassy. The following day, the head of Kabul police attended the burial ceremony at a cemetery behind the embassy and requested the body be handed over for investigation. He also asked that the engineer appear at the police station for further questioning, but Dr. Grobba refused to surrender the engineer. The murderer was kept at the embassy to avoid execution, as in the previous case.

After receiving permission from the German foreign ministry, Dr. Grobba handed Dr. Hähnle over to Afghan authorities. The German doctors also submitted their autopsy report to the Kabul police, which expedited the court’s decision. Several ministers advocated for his release, and ultimately, on June 8, 1925, Dr. Hähnle was acquitted by the Afghan court. After his release, he was committed to completing his work on the cement factory project for the Afghan government.

**Case 3: Straitil Sour**  

Straitil Sour was originally a Czechoslovak citizen living in a German-speaking region, later acquiring German citizenship. He held a doctorate in geography from Leipzig University and arrived in Afghanistan on a research mission. On November 17, 1925, while approaching Kabul, he overtook an Afghan on horseback. The Afghan was thrown from his horse, and after being threatened with a gun, Straitil shot the Afghan and fled. Following investigations and negotiations, Straitil’s execution was canceled by the king on April 8, and he was granted a pardon.

Dr. Grobba’s mission ended due to this incident, as the Afghan government declared him persona non grata. This decision was made because Dr. Grobba was present at the southern border when Afghan border officials identified Straitil, leading to accusations that he had assisted in Straitil’s escape.