Australia’s most-decorated living soldier has been charged over allegations he committed war crimes in Afghanistan.
Ben Roberts-Smith – who left the defence force in 2013 – was arrested at Sydney airport on Tuesday and will face court over five counts of the war crime of murder. He will spend the night in a cell, before a bail hearing on Wednesday.
A defamation judgement in 2023 found the former corporal in Australia’s Special Air Service Regiment (SAS) had killed several unarmed Afghans.
The 47-year-old Victoria Cross recipient denies all wrongdoing, and has previously said the allegations against him – which have not yet been assessed at a criminal standard – were “egregious” and “spiteful”.
The civil trial was the first time in history any court has examined claims of war crimes by Australian forces.
Roberts-Smith argued the alleged killings occurred legally during combat or did not happen at all, and last year lost an appeal against the Federal Court finding.
At a news conference in Sydney on Tuesday, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) confirmed a 47-year-old former soldier had been arrested and said he would be charged with killing unarmed detainees while serving in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012.
Credit: bbc.com
