Decorated Australian veteran remains behind bars on Afghan war crime charges

Key Points:

• Ben Roberts-Smith, Australia's most decorated living veteran, faces war crime murder charges related to the deaths of five Afghan civilians during his service in Afghanistan, but did not apply for bail when the charges were listed in Sydney court.
• The charges allege Roberts-Smith either killed or ordered the killing of noncombatants in 2009 and 2012, with potential life imprisonment if convicted; these follow a 2020 military report documenting unlawful killings by Australian special forces.
• Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called this a difficult time for the Australian Defense Force and emphasized the legal process should not be politicized, while opposition leader Angus Taylor urged government funding for legal defenses of all military personnel charged with war crimes.
• A civil court previously found similar allegations against Roberts-Smith credible in a defamation suit, though criminal charges require proof beyond reasonable doubt; Roberts-Smith denies all war crime allegations and claims he is the victim of lies and envy.
• Roberts-Smith is the second Australian Afghanistan veteran charged with war crimes, with another former SAS soldier, Oliver Schulz, pleading not guilty to a related murder charge; the government has also stripped medals from several commanders over alleged misconduct.