Summary:
Ben Roberts-Smith, Australia’s most decorated living veteran, has been charged with five counts of war crime murder for allegedly killing five unarmed Afghans during his service in Afghanistan in 2009 and 2012. Arrested at Sydney Airport, Roberts-Smith is a former Special Air Service corporal awarded the Victoria Cross and Medal for Bravery. Reports suggest the victims were detained and unarmed at the time of the alleged killings.
Roberts-Smith’s arrest follows a civil court ruling earlier this year that found credible evidence he unlawfully killed four non-combatants, although the criminal charges will require proof beyond a reasonable doubt. He is the second Australian veteran to face war crime charges related to the Afghanistan campaign; another soldier, Oliver Schultz, has pleaded not guilty to similar charges.
Federal Police Commissioner Chrissy Barrett emphasized that the alleged conduct involved a small number of Australian Defense Force units. An investigation by the Office of Special Investigations is ongoing, focusing on 53 war crime allegations linked to the Afghanistan conflict, with 39 cases dismissed. A total of around 40,000 Australian military personnel served in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2021.
