Australia Charges Ex-Soldier With War Crimes in Afghanistan
The New York Times • • general
Key Points:
- Australian authorities charged a former elite soldier, identified by media as Ben Roberts-Smith, with five counts of war crime—murder related to the deaths of Afghan nationals between 2009 and 2012, marking a significant military prosecution in the country's history.
- Roberts-Smith, once Australia's most decorated soldier and former Special Air Service Regiment patrol commander, allegedly shot or ordered the killing of unarmed Afghan victims under Australian military control, according to the Australian Federal Police commissioner.
- The charges follow years of investigations and media reports accusing Roberts-Smith of killing or complicity in killing Afghans, which he unsuccessfully challenged in defamation lawsuits against newspapers that published the allegations.
- The accused is expected to appear in a Sydney court, facing life imprisonment if convicted; this case is part of a broader inquiry involving 53 investigations into potential war crimes by Australian military personnel in Afghanistan.
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