Former war hero to face multiple charges of murdering unarmed civilians
Ben Roberts-Smith, once celebrated as Australia’s most decorated living soldier, has been arrested and will face multiple war crimes charges over the alleged killing of unarmed civilians during his deployment in Afghanistan.
The 47-year-old former Australian Defence Force (ADF) member was taken into custody at Sydney Airport on Tuesday morning by the Australian Federal Police (AFP). He is set to be charged with five counts of war crime murder, relating to the deaths of five individuals in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Roberts-Smith, who received several top military honours—including the Victoria Cross—for his service during six tours of Afghanistan from 2006 to 2012, has previously denied all allegations.
AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett said, “It will be alleged the victims were not taking part in hostilities at the time of their alleged murder in Afghanistan. It will be alleged the victims were detained, unarmed and were under the control of ADF members when they were killed.”
Authorities allege that Roberts-Smith either shot the victims himself or ordered subordinates to do so in his presence. Among the claims are that he shot an unarmed Afghan teenager and kicked a handcuffed man off a cliff before ordering him shot.
These allegations first emerged in 2018, prompting Roberts-Smith to challenge them in what became Australia’s most expensive defamation trial. A 2023 Federal Court ruling found four of six murder allegations proven, with the High Court dismissing a final appeal in September 2025.
A 2020 report also found credible evidence that members of Australia’s Special Air Service Regiment killed dozens of unarmed prisoners during the Afghanistan conflict. An official investigation by the AFP and the Office of the Special Investigator was launched in 2021 to examine these claims.
Ross Barnett, director of investigations at the Office of the Special Investigator, acknowledged the challenge of probing incidents in Afghanistan. “We don’t have access to the crime scenes, we don’t have photographs, site plans, measurements, recovery of projectiles, blood spatter analysis—all of those things we would normally get at a crime scene,” he said.
Authorities have initiated 53 investigations into alleged war crimes by ADF personnel in Afghanistan, with 10 still ongoing. Another former special forces soldier is expected to face trial next February. Barnett added, “If the evidence leads to other people needing to be charged, you can be assured that will happen.”
Roberts-Smith is scheduled to appear before a local court in New South Wales later on Tuesday.