INTERNATIONAL — April 17, 2026
Australian Ex-Soldier Ben Roberts-Smith Granted Bail in Afghan War Crimes Case
Former Australian special forces soldier and Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith was granted bail after 10 days in custody on five murder charges for the alleged killings of unarmed individuals in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012. He denies the charges, which stem from a 2020 military report into Australian forces' conduct.
The Ehtebar Desk — originates with Amu TV — corroborated by Pajhwok, Khaama Press and Al Jazeera — 2 min read
An Australian court on Friday granted bail to Ben Roberts-Smith, a former Australian special forces soldier who was awarded the Victoria Cross for his service in Afghanistan, after he had been held in prison for 10 days on war crimes charges.
Roberts-Smith is accused of the murder of five unarmed individuals in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012. The former soldier denies all of the charges against him.
The accusations include that he either killed the victims himself or ordered his subordinates to do so.
These charges stem from a 2020 military report that investigated the actions of Australian special forces in Afghanistan.
In a 2023 civil defamation trial, the court found that many of the allegations against Roberts-Smith were substantially true.
Prosecutors cited the gravity of the crimes when arguing against bail, but the defense successfully argued that Roberts-Smith should not be subject to prolonged pretrial detention. The trial proceedings could take years, with a potential life sentence if he is convicted.
Australia deployed approximately 39,000 troops to Afghanistan over two decades as part of US and NATO operations.
Read the original reporting at Amu TV →
Reliability assessment
Four independent outlets (including Al Jazeera) corroborate the Australian court's decision to grant bail after 10 days in custody; the underlying court event is not contested and multiple sources confirm the same core facts despite minor variations in detail.
The source language reads straight.
Independent web corroboration
A separate web search returned 8 matching reports. A selection:
- Ben Roberts-Smith: Australia's most decorated living soldier granted bail over war crimes chargesbbc.com
Australia's most decorated living soldier, Ben Roberts-Smith, has been granted bail over alleged war crimes. The Victoria Cross recipient and former corporal in Australia's Special Air Service (SAS) Regiment was taken into custody last week, ...
- Australian ex-soldier Roberts-Smith granted bail in Afghan war crimes case | Human Rights News | Al Jazeeraaljazeera.com
Former Australian special forces soldier Ben Roberts-Smith has been granted bail after spending 10 days in prison over alleged war crimes in Afghanistan. The 47-year-old was released on Friday after a judge said he would face “years and years” ...
- Former soldier Ben Roberts-Smith granted bail over alleged war crime of murder offences - ABC Newsabc.net.au
War veteran Ben Roberts-Smith has been granted bail after spending more than a week in custody over allegations of war crimes. The 47-year-old was arrested at Sydney Domestic Airport last week and charged with five counts of the war crime of ...
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australia’s most decorated living veteran, Ben Roberts-Smith, was granted bail Friday 10 days after he was charged with war crimes in the killings of five people while serving in Afghanistan.
Across the newsrooms
Where reports agree
- Ben Roberts-Smith was arrested in Sydney and charged with war crimes in Afghanistan, then granted bail after 10 days in custody on or around April 17, 2026.
- The allegations involve the murder of five unarmed Afghan civilians or detainees between 2009 and 2012, with claims he either killed them or ordered subordinates to do so.
- Roberts-Smith denies the charges and previously won the Victoria Cross for his service in Afghanistan.
- A 2023 civil case against newspapers found many war crimes allegations to be substantially true on the balance of probabilities.
- The case is expected to take years to reach trial, with prosecutors citing the gravity of the crimes and defense arguing against prolonged pretrial detention.
- Australia contributed around 39,000 troops to the Afghanistan mission over 20 years.
Where reports differ
- Minor discrepancy in reported age (47 in Al Jazeera vs. 46 in Amu TV).
- Al Jazeera includes additional specific historical allegations (e.g., kicking a civilian off a cliff, using a prosthetic limb as a drinking vessel) not detailed in Amu TV.
Filed by 4 outlets
Amu TV
Originating
Reported straight
Reported straight
Pajhwok
Reported straight
Reported straight
Khaama Press
Reported straight
Reported straight
Al Jazeera
Reported straight
Reported straight
Filed under
International — Ben Roberts-Smith, Australian war crimes, Afghanistan war, Bail hearing, Victoria Cross
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