German prosecutors have charged a 26-year-old former officer in Afghanistan's military with war crimes, alleging he played a role in the abuse of prisoners.

The Federal Prosecutor's Office said in a statement on October 29 that the man, identified as Ahmad Zaheer D., is accused of presiding over the interrogation of three "enemy fighters" who had previously been captured in Afghanistan.

He is alleged to have pulled one of the prisoners by the hair and punched him, while a soldier stood guard with an assault rifle.

Another soldier is alleged to have hit a prisoner with a plastic pipe and to have knocked another to the floor and beaten him.

It was not clear when and where the alleged abuse of the prisoners took place.

The accused was arrested on October 25 in the southern German district of Ebersberg, near Munich, and has since been placed in pretrial detention. His apartment was also searched.

Based on reporting by AP