Australia’s most decorated living veteran, Ben Roberts-Smith, has been charged with five counts of war crime murder, allegations stemming from his service in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012. Police assert that the victims were unarmed and detained when they were allegedly killed, either by Roberts-Smith or under his command. These criminal charges follow a civil court’s earlier finding that Roberts-Smith likely unlawfully killed four noncombatants, a ruling he failed to overturn on appeal. The charges are part of broader investigations into alleged unlawful killings by elite Australian SAS and commando troops in Afghanistan.
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Ben Roberts-Smith, Australia’s most decorated living soldier, has been arrested and charged with five counts of war crimes, including murder. These charges stem from allegations of the unlawful killings of Afghan nationals between 2009 and 2012, during which the victims were reportedly unarmed and detained. The investigation, conducted under challenging circumstances due to the distance from Afghanistan and lack of access to crime scenes, found that Roberts-Smith was allegedly involved in the deaths of two Afghan males at Whiskey 108 in 2009, Ali Jan in 2012, and two other civilians at Syahchow in 2012. This follows a defamation trial where a court found it more probable than not that Roberts-Smith committed murder while serving in the military.
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John Q. Hosedrinker