Apr 07, 2026, 08:38Apr 07, 2026, 08:38
Former elite soldier Ben Roberts-Smith has been arrested in one of the most serious alleged war crimes cases in Australia’s history. The 47-year-old is accused of several murders of unarmed civilians and prisoners in Afghanistan, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) announced.
The decorated veteran was arrested by federal police officers at Sydney Airport this morning (local time), shortly after he landed on a plane from Brisbane. He is in custody and is expected to appear in court later today.
Civilian pushed off cliff and prisoner killed
This was preceded by a five-year investigation, during which many statements from eyewitnesses from the ranks of the Australian special unit SAS were collected. These are intended to prove that Roberts-Smith is said to have been involved in several killings between 2006 and 2012.
He is accused, among other things, of pushing a civilian off a cliff and later ordering him to be shot, and of killing at least one prisoner with his own hands. So-called “blooding” rituals – the targeted killing of prisoners by younger soldiers on orders – are also being discussed.
Roberts-Smith, a recipient of Australia’s highest military award, the Victoria Cross, has always denied all allegations. The current investigation follows a year-long investigation by the Office of Special Investigations (OSI), which was set up in 2021 following a report on alleged war crimes by Australian soldiers. This report provided evidence of a total of 39 suspected unlawful killings by members of the special forces, as the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper reported. It was a highly complex investigation, said OSI Director Ross Barnett.
There is a risk of life imprisonment
If charged and later convicted, Roberts-Smith could face life in prison. In addition, his military decoration could be retroactively revoked.
Internationally, this is not the first case of this kind: in other countries, suspected war crimes committed by soldiers have also been legally investigated in recent years. In the USA, for example, proceedings were carried out against Navy Seal soldier Eddie Gallagher, who was accused of crimes in Iraq. He was later acquitted by a jury. (sda/dpa)
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