Former Australian Soldier Charged with Five War Crime Murders in Afghanistan

SYDNEY (Afghan Verified) — A former Australian soldier has been charged with five counts of war crime murder for allegedly killing five unarmed Afghan detainees between 2009 and 2012, Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said Tuesday.

The 47-year-old former Special Air Service Regiment soldier was arrested at Sydney Airport and is expected to appear in a Sydney court, Barrett said. She added that the victims had been detained and were not participating in hostilities at the time, and that the killings were carried out either by the accused or by subordinates on his orders.

BBC Persian and Hasht-e Subh identified the accused as Ben Roberts-Smith, describing him as Australia's most decorated living soldier and a recipient of the Victoria Cross. AP News did not name the soldier.

The charges mark the second time an Australian veteran has been prosecuted for war crimes stemming from operations in Afghanistan, according to AP News.

The case follows the 2020 Brereton Report by a military inquiry, which found credible evidence that Australian special forces were responsible for 39 unlawful killings of Afghan civilians and prisoners between 2002 and 2013. The report documented instances of field executions, cover-ups and other abuses by elite units.