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Corrective Services NSW staff devised a plan to sneak accused war criminal Ben Roberts-Smith out the back exit of a Sydney prison to avoid a waiting media pack after being granted bail, documents obtained under freedom of information laws reveal. NSW Corrections considered the former Special Air Service soldier the most prominent high-profile protection inmate they had ever encountered, triggering a series of rare interventions, including a personal escort for Roberts-Smith and his partner, the use of a rear exit, and the intervention of one of its managers to ensure he received his daily exercise. The cache of documents, obtained by this masthead using freedom of information laws, reveal that Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre governor Patrick Aboud personally escorted Roberts-Smith from Silverwater Correctional Complex on April 17, joining a convoy of cars that later tried to block media from photographing the disgraced former soldier. Officers had initially planned to escort Roberts-Smith and his partner, Sarah Matulin, to the rear gate of the facility before Aboud directed them to travel in convoy with him along a public road. In a briefing note sent four days after Ro…

Decorated former SAS soldier Ben Roberts-Smith has successfully varied his bail to attend the opening of the Anzac Hall at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. However, he has not been allowed to go to a military graduation parade and after-party north of Sydney due to concerns he might interact with another alleged war criminal, Oliver Schulz, while there. Roberts-Smith, 47, was arrested in April and charged with murdering or ordering the murders of five unarmed detainees while deployed in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012. He appeared before Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday, when his lawyers applied to vary his bail. Judge Susan Horan permitted the former SAS soldier to visit the War Memorial for the opening of the Anzac Hall and Atrium on June 23 but barred him from discussing the criminal cases against himself or Schulz. Roberts-Smith had been invited along with all other living Victoria Cross-recipients, the judge was told. Outside court, he told reporters it was "absolutely" appropriate he attend the opening as he had received the prestigious military award. Prosecutor Simon Buchen SC did not oppose his attendance at the War Memorial opening, nor the …

Corrective Services NSW staff devised a plan to sneak accused war criminal Ben Roberts-Smith out the back exit of a Sydney prison to avoid a waiting media pack after being granted bail, documents obtained under freedom of information laws reveal. NSW Corrections considered the former Special Air Service soldier the most prominent high-profile protection inmate they had ever encountered, triggering a series of rare interventions, including a personal escort for Roberts-Smith and his partner, the use of a rear exit, and the intervention of one of its managers to ensure he received his daily exercise. The cache of documents, obtained by this masthead using freedom of information laws, reveal that Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre governor Patrick Aboud personally escorted Roberts-Smith from Silverwater Correctional Complex on April 17, joining a convoy of cars that later tried to block media from photographing the disgraced former soldier. Officers had initially planned to escort Roberts-Smith and his partner, Sarah Matulin, to the rear gate of the facility before Aboud directed them to travel in convoy with him along a public road. In a briefing note sent four days after Ro…

Corrective Services NSW staff devised a plan to sneak accused war criminal Ben Roberts-Smith out the back exit of a Sydney prison to avoid a waiting media pack after being granted bail, documents obtained under freedom of information laws reveal. NSW Corrections considered the former Special Air Service soldier the most prominent high-profile protection inmate they had ever encountered, triggering a series of rare interventions, including a personal escort for Roberts-Smith and his partner, the use of a rear exit, and the intervention of one of its managers to ensure he received his daily exercise. The cache of documents, obtained by this masthead using freedom of information laws, reveal that Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre governor Patrick Aboud personally escorted Roberts-Smith from Silverwater Correctional Complex on April 17, joining a convoy of cars that later tried to block media from photographing the disgraced former soldier. Officers had initially planned to escort Roberts-Smith and his partner, Sarah Matulin, to the rear gate of the facility before Aboud directed them to travel in convoy with him along a public road. In a briefing note sent four days after Ro…

Corrective Services NSW staff devised a plan to sneak accused war criminal Ben Roberts-Smith out the back exit of a Sydney prison to avoid a waiting media pack after being granted bail, documents obtained under freedom of information laws reveal. NSW Corrections considered the former Special Air Service soldier the most prominent high-profile protection inmate they had ever encountered, triggering a series of rare interventions, including a personal escort for Roberts-Smith and his partner, the use of a rear exit, and the intervention of one of its managers to ensure he received his daily exercise. The cache of documents, obtained by this masthead using freedom of information laws, reveal that Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre governor Patrick Aboud personally escorted Roberts-Smith from Silverwater Correctional Complex on April 17, joining a convoy of cars that later tried to block media from photographing the disgraced former soldier. Officers had initially planned to escort Roberts-Smith and his partner, Sarah Matulin, to the rear gate of the facility before Aboud directed them to travel in convoy with him along a public road. In a briefing note sent four days after Ro…

Decorated former SAS soldier Ben Roberts-Smith has successfully varied his bail to attend the opening of the Anzac Hall at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. However, he has not been allowed to go to a military graduation parade and after-party north of Sydney due to concerns he might interact with another alleged war criminal, Oliver Schulz, while there. Roberts-Smith, 47, was arrested in April and charged with murdering or ordering the murders of five unarmed detainees while deployed in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012. He appeared before Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday, when his lawyers applied to vary his bail. Judge Susan Horan permitted the former SAS soldier to visit the War Memorial for the opening of the Anzac Hall and Atrium on June 23 but barred him from discussing the criminal cases against himself or Schulz. Roberts-Smith had been invited along with all other living Victoria Cross-recipients, the judge was told. Outside court, he told reporters it was "absolutely" appropriate he attend the opening as he had received the prestigious military award. Prosecutor Simon Buchen SC did not oppose his attendance at the War Memorial opening, nor the …

Alleged war criminal Ben Roberts-Smith granted bail for Australian War ... Siga o Mix Vale no Google Veja as notícias do Mundo com destaque nas buscas do Google Adicionar Alleged war criminal Ben Roberts-Smith granted bail for Australian War Memorial event access A judicial decision has allowed former Special Air Service (SAS) Regiment soldier Ben Roberts-Smith to attend the highly anticipated opening of the Anzac Hall at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, marking a significant moment for the decorated veteran amidst ongoing legal challenges. The ruling, delivered in court, specifically varied his existing bail conditions to permit his presence at the solemn national event, where he was invited alongside other living recipients of the Victoria Cross, Australia’s highest military honour. This conditional approval underscores a complex interplay between a soldier’s past service, national recognition, and the severe allegations he currently faces, drawing considerable public and media attention to the proceedings and the nature of justice for those accused of grave offences. However, the court explicitly denied Roberts-Smith permission to attend a separate military graduation p…

Decorated former SAS soldier Ben Roberts-Smith has successfully varied his bail to attend the opening of the Anzac Hall at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. However, he has not been allowed to go to a military graduation parade and after-party north of Sydney due to concerns he might interact with another alleged war criminal, Oliver Schulz, while there. Roberts-Smith, 47, was arrested in April and charged with murdering or ordering the murders of five unarmed detainees while deployed in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012. He appeared before Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday, when his lawyers applied to vary his bail. Judge Susan Horan permitted the former SAS soldier to visit the War Memorial for the opening of the Anzac Hall and Atrium on June 23 but barred him from discussing the criminal cases against himself or Schulz. Roberts-Smith had been invited along with all other living Victoria Cross-recipients, the judge was told. Outside court, he told reporters it was "absolutely" appropriate he attend the opening as he had received the prestigious military award. Prosecutor Simon Buchen SC did not oppose his attendance at the War Memorial opening, nor the …

Decorated former SAS soldier Ben Roberts-Smith has successfully varied his bail to attend the opening of the Anzac Hall at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. However, he has not been allowed to go to a military graduation parade and after-party north of Sydney due to concerns he might interact with another alleged war criminal, Oliver Schulz, while there. Roberts-Smith, 47, was arrested in April and charged with murdering or ordering the murders of five unarmed detainees while deployed in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012. He appeared before Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday, when his lawyers applied to vary his bail. Judge Susan Horan permitted the former SAS soldier to visit the War Memorial for the opening of the Anzac Hall and Atrium on June 23 but barred him from discussing the criminal cases against himself or Schulz. Roberts-Smith had been invited along with all other living Victoria Cross-recipients, the judge was told. Outside court, he told reporters it was "absolutely" appropriate he attend the opening as he had received the prestigious military award. Prosecutor Simon Buchen SC did not oppose his attendance at the War Memorial opening, nor the …

Decorated former SAS soldier Ben Roberts-Smith has successfully varied his bail to attend the opening of the Anzac Hall at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. However, he has not been allowed to go to a military graduation parade and after-party north of Sydney due to concerns he might interact with another alleged war criminal, Oliver Schulz, while there. Roberts-Smith, 47, was arrested in April and charged with murdering or ordering the murders of five unarmed detainees while deployed in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012. He appeared before Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday, when his lawyers applied to vary his bail. Judge Susan Horan permitted the former SAS soldier to visit the War Memorial for the opening of the Anzac Hall and Atrium on June 23 but barred him from discussing the criminal cases against himself or Schulz. Roberts-Smith had been invited along with all other living Victoria Cross-recipients, the judge was told. Outside court, he told reporters it was "absolutely" appropriate he attend the opening as he had received the prestigious military award. Prosecutor Simon Buchen SC did not oppose his attendance at the War Memorial opening, nor the …

Decorated former SAS soldier Ben Roberts-Smith has successfully varied his bail to attend the opening of the Anzac Hall at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. However, he has not been allowed to go to a military graduation parade and after-party north of Sydney due to concerns he might interact with another alleged war criminal, Oliver Schulz, while there. Roberts-Smith, 47, was arrested in April and charged with murdering or ordering the murders of five unarmed detainees while deployed in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012. He appeared before Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday, when his lawyers applied to vary his bail. Judge Susan Horan permitted the former SAS soldier to visit the War Memorial for the opening of the Anzac Hall and Atrium on June 23 but barred him from discussing the criminal cases against himself or Schulz. Roberts-Smith had been invited along with all other living Victoria Cross-recipients, the judge was told. Outside court, he told reporters it was "absolutely" appropriate he attend the opening as he had received the prestigious military award. Prosecutor Simon Buchen SC did not oppose his attendance at the War Memorial opening, nor the …

Corrective Services NSW staff devised a plan to sneak accused war criminal Ben Roberts-Smith out the back exit of a Sydney prison to avoid a waiting media pack after being granted bail, documents obtained under freedom of information laws reveal. NSW Corrections considered the former Special Air Service soldier the most prominent high-profile protection inmate they had ever encountered, triggering a series of rare interventions, including a personal escort for Roberts-Smith and his partner, the use of a rear exit, and the intervention of one of its managers to ensure he received his daily exercise. The cache of documents, obtained by this masthead using freedom of information laws, reveal that Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre governor Patrick Aboud personally escorted Roberts-Smith from Silverwater Correctional Complex on April 17, joining a convoy of cars that later tried to block media from photographing the disgraced former soldier. Officers had initially planned to escort Roberts-Smith and his partner, Sarah Matulin, to the rear gate of the facility before Aboud directed them to travel in convoy with him along a public road. In a briefing note sent four days after Ro…

Corrective Services NSW staff devised a plan to sneak accused war criminal Ben Roberts-Smith out the back exit of a Sydney prison to avoid a waiting media pack after being granted bail, documents obtained under freedom of information laws reveal. NSW Corrections considered the former Special Air Service soldier the most prominent high-profile protection inmate they had ever encountered, triggering a series of rare interventions, including a personal escort for Roberts-Smith and his partner, the use of a rear exit, and the intervention of one of its managers to ensure he received his daily exercise. The cache of documents, obtained by this masthead using freedom of information laws, reveal that Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre governor Patrick Aboud personally escorted Roberts-Smith from Silverwater Correctional Complex on April 17, joining a convoy of cars that later tried to block media from photographing the disgraced former soldier. Officers had initially planned to escort Roberts-Smith and his partner, Sarah Matulin, to the rear gate of the facility before Aboud directed them to travel in convoy with him along a public road. In a briefing note sent four days after Ro…

Decorated former SAS soldier Ben Roberts-Smith has successfully varied his bail to attend the opening of the Anzac Hall at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. However, he has not been allowed to go to a military graduation parade and after-party north of Sydney due to concerns he might interact with another alleged war criminal, Oliver Schulz, while there. Roberts-Smith, 47, was arrested in April and charged with murdering or ordering the murders of five unarmed detainees while deployed in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012. He appeared before Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday, when his lawyers applied to vary his bail. Judge Susan Horan permitted the former SAS soldier to visit the War Memorial for the opening of the Anzac Hall and Atrium on June 23 but barred him from discussing the criminal cases against himself or Schulz. Roberts-Smith had been invited along with all other living Victoria Cross-recipients, the judge was told. Outside court, he told reporters it was "absolutely" appropriate he attend the opening as he had received the prestigious military award. Prosecutor Simon Buchen SC did not oppose his attendance at the War Memorial opening, nor the …

Ben Roberts-Smith, Australia's most decorated veteran, faces war crime ... Ben Roberts-Smith arrives at the Federal Court in Sydney, Australia, on June 9, 2021. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft, File) Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II greets Corp. Ben Roberts-Smith from Australia, who was recently awarded the Victoria Cross, during an audience at Buckingham Palace in London, Nov. 15, 2011. (Anthony Devlin/Pool via AP, File) MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australia’s most decorated living veteran,Ben Roberts-Smith, did not apply for bail when the war crime murder charges against him were listed in a Sydney court Wednesday. Roberts-Smith was awarded both the Victoria Cross and Medal of Gallantry for his service in Afghanistan and is only the second Australian veteran of the Afghanistan campaign to be charged with a war crime. The charges follow amilitary reportreleased in 2020 that found evidence that elite Australian Special Air Service and commando regiment troops unlawfully killed 39 Afghan prisoners, farmers and other noncombatants. Around 40,000 Australian military personnel served in Afghanistan between 2001 and 2021, of whom 41 were killed. The allegations against Roberts-Smith relate to …

Corrective Services NSW staff devised a plan to sneak accused war criminal Ben Roberts-Smith out the back exit of a Sydney prison to avoid a waiting media pack after being granted bail, documents obtained under freedom of information laws reveal. NSW Corrections considered the former Special Air Service soldier the most prominent high-profile protection inmate they had ever encountered, triggering a series of rare interventions, including a personal escort for Roberts-Smith and his partner, the use of a rear exit, and the intervention of one of its managers to ensure he received his daily exercise. The cache of documents, obtained by this masthead using freedom of information laws, reveal that Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre governor Patrick Aboud personally escorted Roberts-Smith from Silverwater Correctional Complex on April 17, joining a convoy of cars that later tried to block media from photographing the disgraced former soldier. Officers had initially planned to escort Roberts-Smith and his partner, Sarah Matulin, to the rear gate of the facility before Aboud directed them to travel in convoy with him along a public road. In a briefing note sent four days after Ro…

Corrective Services NSW staff devised a plan to sneak accused war criminal Ben Roberts-Smith out the back exit of a Sydney prison to avoid a waiting media pack after being granted bail, documents obtained under freedom of information laws reveal. NSW Corrections considered the former Special Air Service soldier the most prominent high-profile protection inmate they had ever encountered, triggering a series of rare interventions, including a personal escort for Roberts-Smith and his partner, the use of a rear exit, and the intervention of one of its managers to ensure he received his daily exercise. The cache of documents, obtained by this masthead using freedom of information laws, reveal that Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre governor Patrick Aboud personally escorted Roberts-Smith from Silverwater Correctional Complex on April 17, joining a convoy of cars that later tried to block media from photographing the disgraced former soldier. Officers had initially planned to escort Roberts-Smith and his partner, Sarah Matulin, to the rear gate of the facility before Aboud directed them to travel in convoy with him along a public road. In a briefing note sent four days after Ro…

Decorated former SAS soldier Ben Roberts-Smith has successfully varied his bail to attend the opening of the Anzac Hall at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. However, he has not been allowed to go to a military graduation parade and after-party north of Sydney due to concerns he might interact with another alleged war criminal, Oliver Schulz, while there. Roberts-Smith, 47, was arrested in April and charged with murdering or ordering the murders of five unarmed detainees while deployed in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012. He appeared before Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday, when his lawyers applied to vary his bail. Judge Susan Horan permitted the former SAS soldier to visit the War Memorial for the opening of the Anzac Hall and Atrium on June 23 but barred him from discussing the criminal cases against himself or Schulz. Roberts-Smith had been invited along with all other living Victoria Cross-recipients, the judge was told. Outside court, he told reporters it was "absolutely" appropriate he attend the opening as he had received the prestigious military award. Prosecutor Simon Buchen SC did not oppose his attendance at the War Memorial opening, nor the …

One of Australia's most decorated soldiers charged with committing 5 ... Australia's most decorated living veteran, Ben Roberts-Smith, faces war crime charges on allegations that he killed five unarmed Afghans while serving in Afghanistan from 2009 and 2012, police and media reported on Tuesday. Police have not confirmed the name of the 47-year-old former soldier who was arrested Tuesday. But he has been widely reported in the media to be Roberts-Smith, a former Special Air Service Regiment corporal who was awarded both the Victoria Cross and Medal of Gallantry for his service in Afghanistan. Police charged him Tuesday with five counts of war crime murder. He will remain in custody overnight and make his first court appearance on Wednesday, a police statement said . He will potentially apply for release on bail Wednesday. Roberts-Smith is only the second Australian veteran of the Afghanistan campaign to be charged with a war crime. Former member of Australia's elite Special Air Service regiment Ben Roberts-Smith leaves the Federal Court in Sydney on May 1, 2025. SAEED KHAN/AFP via Getty Images Former SAS soldier Oliver Schulz, 44, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of war crime mu…

Corrective Services NSW staff devised a plan to sneak accused war criminal Ben Roberts-Smith out the back exit of a Sydney prison to avoid a waiting media pack after being granted bail, documents obtained under freedom of information laws reveal. NSW Corrections considered the former Special Air Service soldier the most prominent high-profile protection inmate they had ever encountered, triggering a series of rare interventions, including a personal escort for Roberts-Smith and his partner, the use of a rear exit, and the intervention of one of its managers to ensure he received his daily exercise. The cache of documents, obtained by this masthead using freedom of information laws, reveal that Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre governor Patrick Aboud personally escorted Roberts-Smith from Silverwater Correctional Complex on April 17, joining a convoy of cars that later tried to block media from photographing the disgraced former soldier. Officers had initially planned to escort Roberts-Smith and his partner, Sarah Matulin, to the rear gate of the facility before Aboud directed them to travel in convoy with him along a public road. In a briefing note sent four days after Ro…

Corrective Services NSW staff devised a plan to sneak accused war criminal Ben Roberts-Smith out the back exit of a Sydney prison to avoid a waiting media pack after being granted bail, documents obtained under freedom of information laws reveal. NSW Corrections considered the former Special Air Service soldier the most prominent high-profile protection inmate they had ever encountered, triggering a series of rare interventions, including a personal escort for Roberts-Smith and his partner, the use of a rear exit, and the intervention of one of its managers to ensure he received his daily exercise. The cache of documents, obtained by this masthead using freedom of information laws, reveal that Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre governor Patrick Aboud personally escorted Roberts-Smith from Silverwater Correctional Complex on April 17, joining a convoy of cars that later tried to block media from photographing the disgraced former soldier. Officers had initially planned to escort Roberts-Smith and his partner, Sarah Matulin, to the rear gate of the facility before Aboud directed them to travel in convoy with him along a public road. In a briefing note sent four days after Ro…

Why was Ben Roberts-Smith granted bail? - University of Western Australia This article by Professor Melanie O'Brien, from The University of Western Australia, was originally published in The Conversation on 17 April 2026. In early April, one of Australia’s most decorated soldiers, Ben Roberts-Smith, was arrested and charged with five war crimes of murder. These charges were brought under the Commonwealth Criminal Code Act. On Friday, a bail hearing was held in Sydney. Roberts-Smith appeared remotely from custody and his lawyers requested bail in person. The judge granted Roberts-Smith bail based on “exceptional circumstances”. The allegations and the arrest The allegations against Roberts-Smith relate to five separate killings of people in various locations in Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan in 2009 and 2012, where he served with the Australian Special Forces (the Special Air Service regiment, also known as “the SAS”). These allegations were already known in the media and through the failed defamation case that Roberts-Smith brought against Nine Entertainment. The wider context of the alleged offending came to light in 2020 following the release of the Brereton Report which found cr…

Corrective Services NSW staff devised a plan to sneak accused war criminal Ben Roberts-Smith out the back exit of a Sydney prison to avoid a waiting media pack after being granted bail, documents obtained under freedom of information laws reveal. NSW Corrections considered the former Special Air Service soldier the most prominent high-profile protection inmate they had ever encountered, triggering a series of rare interventions, including a personal escort for Roberts-Smith and his partner, the use of a rear exit, and the intervention of one of its managers to ensure he received his daily exercise. The cache of documents, obtained by this masthead using freedom of information laws, reveal that Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre governor Patrick Aboud personally escorted Roberts-Smith from Silverwater Correctional Complex on April 17, joining a convoy of cars that later tried to block media from photographing the disgraced former soldier. Officers had initially planned to escort Roberts-Smith and his partner, Sarah Matulin, to the rear gate of the facility before Aboud directed them to travel in convoy with him along a public road. In a briefing note sent four days after Ro…

Corrective Services NSW staff devised a plan to sneak accused war criminal Ben Roberts-Smith out the back exit of a Sydney prison to avoid a waiting media pack after being granted bail, documents obtained under freedom of information laws reveal. NSW Corrections considered the former Special Air Service soldier the most prominent high-profile protection inmate they had ever encountered, triggering a series of rare interventions, including a personal escort for Roberts-Smith and his partner, the use of a rear exit, and the intervention of one of its managers to ensure he received his daily exercise. The cache of documents, obtained by this masthead using freedom of information laws, reveal that Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre governor Patrick Aboud personally escorted Roberts-Smith from Silverwater Correctional Complex on April 17, joining a convoy of cars that later tried to block media from photographing the disgraced former soldier. Officers had initially planned to escort Roberts-Smith and his partner, Sarah Matulin, to the rear gate of the facility before Aboud directed them to travel in convoy with him along a public road. In a briefing note sent four days after Ro…

Ben Roberts-Smith launches push to be allowed to step foot inside the ... BySTEPHEN GIBBS, SENIOR NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA Published:21:19 EDT, 15 June 2026|Updated:00:42 EDT, 16 June 2026 Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith is seeking to have his bail varied so he can attend two special ceremonies closely linked to his service with the Special Air Service inAfghanistan. The accused war criminal wants to attend the June 23 opening of Anzac Hall at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, and the march out parade inNSWfor a slain SAS comrade's son three days later. The new Anzac Hall commemorates Australia's wartime commitments to the Middle East, Afghanistan and peacekeeping operations, and features Roberts-Smith's VC and uniform. Roberts-Smith also hopes to witness a march out parade for Henry Diddams at Singleton's Lone Pine Barracks, the Hunter Valley home of the School of Infantry. Henry's father, Sergeant Blaine Diddams, received the Medal for Gallantry in Afghanistan and was killed in an engagement with insurgents in July 2012 during his seventh tour to the country. Roberts-Smith has remained close to Diddams' widow Toni-Ann, daughter Elle-Lou and her brother H…

Australia's most decorated soldier arrested over alleged war crimes Australian police arrested a man, identified by local media as Ben Roberts-Smith, at Sydney airport on Tuesday Australian Federal Police Oceania Human rights The Middle East Asia See all topics Facebook Tweet Email Link Threads Link Copied! Follow Reuters — Australia’s most decorated living soldier was arrested on Tuesday and will be charged with five counts of war crime murders relating to the killing of unarmed civilians while on deployment in Afghanistan. The man, whom police identified as a 47-year-old former Australian Defence Force member and media named as Ben Roberts-Smith, was arrested at Sydney Airport on Tuesday morning. He will be charged with five counts of war crimes in connection to the murder of five people in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012, Australian Federal Police (AFP) said. The maximum penalty for each charge is life imprisonment. Roberts-Smith was hailed as a national hero after being awarded several top military honors, including the Victoria Cross, for his actions during six tours of Afghanistan from 2006 to 2012. “It will be alleged the victims were not taking part in hostilities at the…

Decorated Australian Veteran Remains Behind Bars on Afghan War Crime ... Like Follow Followed Add us on Rod McGuirk Published Apr 8, 2026, 12:02 PM EDT Sign in to your Military.com account FILE - Ben Roberts-Smith arrives at the Federal Court in Sydney, Australia, on June 9, 2021. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft, File) Originally published by Associated Press MELBOURNE, Australia — Australia’s most decorated living veteran, Ben Roberts-Smith , did not apply for bail when the war crime murder charges against him were listed in a Sydney court Wednesday. Roberts-Smith was awarded both the Victoria Cross and Medal of Gallantry for his service in Afghanistan and is only the second Australian veteran of the Afghanistan campaign to be charged with a war crime. The charges follow a military report released in 2020 that found evidence that elite Australian Special Air Service and commando regiment troops unlawfully killed 39 Afghan prisoners, farmers and other noncombatants. Around 40,000 Australian military personnel served in Afghanistan between 2001 and 2021, of whom 41 were killed. Veteran accused of 5 unlawful deaths The allegations against Roberts-Smith relate to the deaths of five Afghan peo…

Ben Roberts-Smith’s bail varied so alleged war criminal can attend Australian War Memorial opening <p>Former SAS soldier had been invited along with all other living Victoria Cross recipients, judge told</p><ul><li><p>Get our <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl">breaking news email</a>, <a href="https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3">free app</a> or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl">daily news podcast</a></p></li></ul><p>Former SAS soldier Ben Roberts-Smith has successfully varied his bail to attend the opening of the Anzac Hall at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.</p><p>However he has not been allowed to go to a military graduation parade and afterparty north of Sydney due to concerns he might interact with another alleged war criminal, Oliver Schulz, while there.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/jun/16/ben-roberts-smith-bail-varied-changed-alleged-war-criminal-can-attend-australian-war-memorial-opening-ntwnfb">Continue reading...</a>

Decorated former SAS soldier Ben Roberts-Smith has successfully varied his bail to attend the opening of the Anzac Hall at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. However, he has not been allowed to go to a military graduation parade and after-party north of Sydney due to concerns he might interact with another alleged war criminal, Oliver Schulz, while there. Roberts-Smith, 47, was arrested in April and charged with murdering or ordering the murders of five unarmed detainees while deployed in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012. He appeared before Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday, when his lawyers applied to vary his bail. Judge Susan Horan permitted the former SAS soldier to visit the War Memorial for the opening of the Anzac Hall and Atrium on June 23 but barred him from discussing the criminal cases against himself or Schulz. Roberts-Smith had been invited along with all other living Victoria Cross-recipients, the judge was told. Outside court, he told reporters it was "absolutely" appropriate he attend the opening as he had received the prestigious military award. Prosecutor Simon Buchen SC did not oppose his attendance at the War Memorial opening, nor the …

'Exceptional circumstances': why was Ben Roberts-Smith granted bail? A court sketch depicts Ben Roberts-Smith appearing via video link in Sydney. Rocco Fazzari/AAP In early April, one of Australia’s most decorated soldiers, Ben Roberts-Smith, was arrested and charged with five war crimes of murder. These charges were brought under the Commonwealth Criminal Code Act . On Friday, a bail hearing was held in Sydney. Roberts-Smith appeared remotely from custody and his lawyers requested bail in person. The judge granted Roberts-Smith bail based on “exceptional circumstances”. The allegations and the arrest The allegations against Roberts-Smith relate to five separate killings of people in various locations in Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan in 2009 and 2012, where he served with the Australian Special Forces (the Special Air Service regiment, also known as “the SAS”). Read more: Ben Roberts-Smith is accused of 5 war crime murder charges. How did we get here? These allegations were already known in the media and through the failed defamation case that Roberts-Smith brought against Nine Entertainment. The wider context of the alleged offending came to light in 2020 following the release of…

Decorated former SAS soldier Ben Roberts-Smith has successfully varied his bail to attend the opening of the Anzac Hall at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. However, he has not been allowed to go to a military graduation parade and after-party north of Sydney due to concerns he might interact with another alleged war criminal, Oliver Schulz, while there. Roberts-Smith, 47, was arrested in April and charged with murdering or ordering the murders of five unarmed detainees while deployed in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012. He appeared before Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday, when his lawyers applied to vary his bail. Judge Susan Horan permitted the former SAS soldier to visit the War Memorial for the opening of the Anzac Hall and Atrium on June 23 but barred him from discussing the criminal cases against himself or Schulz. Roberts-Smith had been invited along with all other living Victoria Cross-recipients, the judge was told. Outside court, he told reporters it was "absolutely" appropriate he attend the opening as he had received the prestigious military award. Prosecutor Simon Buchen SC did not oppose his attendance at the War Memorial opening, nor the …