ABSTRACT
This chapter presents an analysis of the empirical data on land grabbing as a form of socio-economic harm, on the one hand, and economic-state crime on the other. It seeks to illustrate this against the theoretical background discussed in the previous chapters, engaging both transitional justice and criminological literature. The chapter argues that land grabbing in Afghanistan is a form of economic crime in which the state apparatus at various horizontal and vertical levels in the country’s power structure is involved. It is thus also a form of state crime. The chapter refers to this phenomenon as economic-state crime, where individuals in a position of power in the state—and society at large—engage in illegal acts in such a way that leads to socio-economic harm to individuals and communities at large. Furthermore, the chapter illustrates the relevance of land grabbing to transitional justice in Afghanistan, arguing that considering its gravity and extent, land grabbing amounts to serious violations of human rights and potentially a crime against humanity.
