An Australian soldier awarded the Victoria Cross has been arrested and will face charges of war crimes

Tuesday, April 7, 2026

According to Tiffany Turnbull, Sydney, an Australian soldier named Ben Roberts Smith has been arrested. He has been accused of committing war crimes in Afghanistan. He will be tried in this regard.

Smith, 47, is a highly decorated Australian soldier and has been awarded numerous honors. He was awarded the Victoria Cross in 2023. Smith was arrested at Sydney Airport and will appear in court today.

The Australian Federal Police also confirmed Smith's arrest at a press conference. Police said he will be charged with shooting and killing unarmed prisoners in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012.

In 2023, a defamation case found that former Special Air Service Corporal Roberts-Smith had killed several unarmed Afghan soldiers. Smith left the military in 2013.

In 2020, a major investigation, the "Brereton Report," found that Australian Special Forces in Afghanistan had unlawfully killed 39 people.

The report recommended investigations into 19 current or former soldiers.

Roberts-Smith denies all allegations. He previously stated that the allegations against him were "deeply false" and "malicious."

Roberts-Smith has stated that the alleged killings occurred during legal battles or never occurred at all.

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