Australian War Hero Arrested Over Alleged Murders of Afghan Prisoners

By AFP :

Australian police have arrested one of the country’s most decorated former soldiers over allegations that he murdered unarmed prisoners while serving in Afghanistan.

The Australian Federal Police confirmed on Tuesday that a 47-year-old former member of the military had been detained and would face five counts of war crime related to murder. Local media widely identified the suspect as Ben Roberts-Smith, a recipient of Australia’s highest military honour, the Victoria Cross.

Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said investigators believed the alleged killings took place between 2009 and 2012 during Australia’s deployment in Afghanistan.

She told reporters that the victims were not engaged in hostilities at the time of their deaths. Authorities allege that some victims were shot directly by the accused, while others were killed by subordinate soldiers acting on his orders.

Roberts-Smith, a former member of Australia’s elite Special Air Service Regiment, had long been regarded as one of the nation’s most celebrated living soldiers. He received the Victoria Cross for what was described as “conspicuous gallantry” during operations to capture a senior Taliban commander.

His military reputation, however, came under scrutiny in 2018 when investigative reports by The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald alleged that Australian troops had been involved in the killing of unarmed Afghan detainees. Those reports triggered a major investigation into potential war crimes committed by Australian special forces.

The newspapers alleged that Roberts-Smith had kicked an unarmed Afghan civilian off a cliff before ordering a subordinate to shoot him. Other claims suggested he was involved in the killing of a man with a prosthetic leg, which was allegedly later used by soldiers as a drinking vessel.

Roberts-Smith has consistently denied the accusations and previously launched a high-profile defamation case against the newspapers that first reported the allegations.

Australia deployed about 39,000 troops to Afghanistan over two decades as part of US and NATO-led operations against the Taliban and other militant groups. In recent years, the conduct of some Australian soldiers during the conflict has come under increasing legal scrutiny.

A landmark military inquiry published in 2020 concluded that members of Australia’s special forces had unlawfully killed 39 Afghan civilians and prisoners. The report detailed allegations of summary executions, torture and a culture in which soldiers competed over “body counts”.

Following the findings, the Australian government appointed a special investigator to determine whether criminal charges should be brought against current or former members of the armed forces. The arrest announced on Tuesday marks one of the most significant developments in that process.