Australia's Most Decorated Soldier Arrested Over Alleged War Crimes in Afghanistan
Ben Roberts-Smith, Australia's most decorated living soldier, has been arrested and is set to face multiple war crimes charges over alleged killings of unarmed civilians during his deployment in Afghanistan. The 47-year-old former member of the Australian Defence Force was apprehended at Sydney Airport on Tuesday morning, according to the Australian Federal Police.
Charges and Maximum Penalties
Roberts-Smith will be charged with five counts of war crime murder in connection with the deaths of five individuals in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, highlighting the severity of the allegations against him.
"It will be alleged the victims were not taking part in hostilities at the time of their alleged murder in Afghanistan," AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett stated. "It will be alleged the victims were detained, unarmed and were under the control of ADF members when they were killed."
From National Hero to Accused War Criminal
Roberts-Smith was previously celebrated as a national hero, having received several top military honours, including the Victoria Cross, for his actions during six tours of Afghanistan from 2006 to 2012. However, police now allege that the victims were shot either by the accused or by subordinates acting on his orders and in his presence.
Among the specific accusations are claims that he shot dead an unarmed Afghan teenager and kicked a handcuffed man off a cliff before ordering that he be shot. Roberts-Smith has consistently denied allegations of wrongdoing during his service, which were first reported in 2018.
Legal Battles and Investigations
He unsuccessfully challenged the reports in what became Australia's most expensive defamation trial. In 2023, a Federal Court judge ruled that four of the six murder allegations had been proven. A final appeal was dismissed by the High Court in September 2025.
An investigation into the case was launched in 2021 by the Australian Federal Police and the Office of the Special Investigator, which was established to examine alleged war crimes by Australian forces. Ross Barnett, director of investigations at the Office of the Special Investigator, noted the complexity of the process due to the inability to access crime scenes in Afghanistan.
"We don't have access to the crime scenes, we don't have photographs, site plans, measurements, the recovery of projectiles, blood spatter analysis, all of those things we would normally get at a crime scene," he explained.
Broader Context and Ongoing Cases
A 2020 report found credible evidence that members of Australia's Special Air Service Regiment killed dozens of unarmed prisoners during the Afghanistan war. Authorities have launched 53 investigations into alleged war crimes involving Australian Defence Force members in Afghanistan, with 10 still ongoing. Another former special forces soldier is expected to face trial next February.
"If the evidence leads to other people needing to be charged, you can be assured that will happen," Barnett added.
Police said Roberts-Smith will appear before a local court in New South Wales later on Tuesday. This case marks a significant development in Australia's reckoning with alleged war crimes committed during its military involvement in Afghanistan.
