Australia's Highest-Decorated Soldier Taken Into Custody for Alleged War Crimes

Australia's most decorated living soldier, Ben Roberts-Smith, has been apprehended and is expected to be charged with five counts of war crime murder. The allegations stem from incidents involving the deaths of five individuals in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012, with each charge carrying a potential life sentence.

The 47-year-old former member of the Australian Defence Force was arrested at Sydney Airport on Tuesday morning, according to information released by the Australian Federal Police (AFP).

Roberts-Smith, who previously received prestigious military honours including the Victoria Cross for his conduct during six tours in Afghanistan from 2006 to 2012, has been a national hero.

AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett stated that it will be alleged the victims were not engaged in hostilities when they were purportedly murdered in Afghanistan. She added that the victims were allegedly detained, unarmed, and under the control of ADF members when they were killed.

Authorities further allege that the victims were shot either by Roberts-Smith himself or by subordinates under his command and in his presence.

Roberts-Smith has consistently refuted claims of misconduct during his military service, which first came to light in 2018. Among the accusations are that he shot an unarmed Afghan teenager and was involved in an incident where a handcuffed man was allegedly pushed off a cliff and subsequently shot.

He previously pursued a defamation case against media outlets that published these reports, a trial that became Australia's most expensive. In 2023, a Federal Court judge ruled that four of the six murder allegations were proven. An appeal to this decision was dismissed by the High Court in September 2025.

A 2020 report indicated substantial evidence of unlawful killings of numerous unarmed prisoners by members of Australia's Special Air Service Regiment during the Afghanistan conflict.

The Australian Federal Police, in conjunction with the Office of the Special Investigator, launched an investigation into the allegations in 2021. This office was established to examine potential war crimes committed by Australian military personnel.

Ross Barnett, Director of Investigations for the Office of the Special Investigator, highlighted the challenges of the investigation, particularly the inability to access the alleged crime scenes in Afghanistan. He noted the absence of typical forensic evidence such as photographs, site plans, measurements, projectile recovery, and blood spatter analysis that would normally be collected at a crime scene.

Authorities have initiated 53 investigations into alleged war crimes involving Australian Defence Force members in Afghanistan, with 10 still active. Another former special forces soldier is scheduled to face trial next February.

Barnett affirmed that further charges would be laid if the evidence pointed to other individuals. Roberts-Smith is scheduled to appear before a local court in New South Wales later on Tuesday.