One of Australia’s most celebrated soldiers has been arrested over alleged war crimes in Afghanistan, marking a dramatic fall from hero status to criminal suspect.
Federal police detained a 47-year-old former Special Air Service Regiment soldier, widely identified as Ben Roberts-Smith, over accusations he murdered unarmed prisoners between 2009 and 2012.
Authorities say he faces five counts of war crime murder, with investigators alleging victims were either shot by him or killed by subordinates acting on his orders.
“The victims were not taking part in hostilities,” police commissioner Krissy Barrett said, underscoring the gravity of the charges.
From national hero to war crimes accused
Roberts-Smith, a recipient of the Victoria Cross — Australia’s highest military honour — was once hailed for “conspicuous gallantry” in Afghanistan and celebrated as a national icon.
But his reputation began to unravel in 2018 after investigative reports alleged he was involved in the killing of unarmed Afghan civilians. The reports triggered a sweeping probe into the conduct of Australian special forces.
The papers alleged Roberts-Smith had kicked an unarmed Afghan civilian off a cliff and ordered subordinates to shoot him. He was also said to have taken part in the machine-gunning of a man with a prosthetic leg, later using the limb as a drinking vessel with comrades.
He has consistently denied the allegations and launched legal action against the media outlets that first reported the claims.
Broader Reckoning for Australian Forces
The arrest comes amid a wider reckoning over Australia’s role in Afghanistan. Australia deployed 39,000 troops to Afghanistan over two decades as part of US and NATO-led offensives against the Taliban and other armed groups.
A landmark 2020 military inquiry found credible evidence that special forces unlawfully killed 39 civilians and prisoners, exposing allegations of executions, torture and a culture of impunity.
The government later appointed a special investigator to determine whether criminal charges should be brought against those involved.
