Australiaâs most decorated living soldier was arrested on Tuesday and will be charged with five counts of war crime murders relating to the killing of unarmed civilians while on deployment in Afghanistan. The man, whom police identified as a 47-year-old former Australian Defence Force member and media named as Ben Roberts-Smith, was arrested at Sydney Airport on Tuesday morning. He will be charged with five counts of war crimes in connection to the murder of five people in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012, Australian Federal Police (AFP) said. The maximum penalty for each charge is life imprisonment. Roberts-Smith was hailed as a national hero after being awarded several top military honors, including the Victoria Cross, for his actions during six tours of Afghanistan from 2006 to 2012. âIt will be alleged the victims were not taking part in hostilities at the time of their alleged murder in Afghanistan,â AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett told a press conference. âIt will be alleged the victims were detained, unarmed and were under the control of ADF members when they were killed.â Police would also allege the victims were shot by the accused or shot by subordinates acting
Apr 7, 2026 → Apr 19, 2026
Australia's most decorated living soldier, Ben Roberts-Smith, has publicly denied all allegations against him in his first statement after being charged with five counts of the war crime of murder last week. The Victoria Cross recipient,…
Read original at BBC →7 updates from 3 sources over 12 days.
Australia's most decorated living soldier, Ben Roberts-Smith, has publicly denied all allegations against him in his first statement after being charged with five counts of the war crime of murder last week. The…
Read original at BBC →Former SAS corporal allegedly placed man on his knees and ordered fellow soldier to shoot him, according to statement of facts Australian soldiers have told prosecutors they executed unarmed civilians at the orders of…
Read original at The Guardian →Former SAS corporal granted bail ahead of potential trial on charges relating to alleged killing of civilians in Afghanistan Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email, free app…
Read original at The Guardian →In the context of the Afghanistan war, this kind of accountability is rare, and it matters Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Even for Afghans like me, the details of what some of Australiaâs…
Read original at The Guardian →One of the most significant moments in Australian military history unfolded without fanfare on a tarmac at Sydney airport, when Ben Roberts-Smith was calmly escorted off a plane and into a waiting police car. The…
Read original at BBC →The rule of law matters, which is one of the honourable things setting us apart from many of those we wage war against Full Story podcast: The arrest of Australiaâs most decorated war hero Ben Roberts-Smith Follow our…
Read original at The Guardian →Australiaâs most decorated living soldier was arrested on Tuesday and will be charged with five counts of war crime murders relating to the killing of unarmed civilians while on deployment in Afghanistan. The man,…
Read original at CNN →What this story stands on. Tier 0 is a primary record or the subject's own words; higher tiers must be attributed, never stated as bare fact.
Australia's most decorated living soldier, Ben Roberts-Smith, has publicly denied all allegations against him in his first statement after being charged with five counts of the war crime of murder last week. The Victoria Cross recipient,…
View source →Former SAS corporal allegedly placed man on his knees and ordered fellow soldier to shoot him, according to statement of facts Australian soldiers have told prosecutors they executed unarmed civilians at the orders of Ben Roberts-Smith or…
View source →Former SAS corporal granted bail ahead of potential trial on charges relating to alleged killing of civilians in Afghanistan Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast…
View source →In the context of the Afghanistan war, this kind of accountability is rare, and it matters Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Even for Afghans like me, the details of what some of Australiaâs SAS soldiers had…
View source →One of the most significant moments in Australian military history unfolded without fanfare on a tarmac at Sydney airport, when Ben Roberts-Smith was calmly escorted off a plane and into a waiting police car. The country's most-decorated…
View source →The rule of law matters, which is one of the honourable things setting us apart from many of those we wage war against Full Story podcast: The arrest of Australiaâs most decorated war hero Ben Roberts-Smith Follow our Australia news live…
View source →Tier key: T0 = Primary source · T1 = Wire · T2 = Outlet report · T3 = Commentary
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