Arrest comes after Roberts-Smith lost case against journalists who said he was involved in murders of unarmed Afghan men.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n Published On 7 Apr 2026<\/span>7 Apr 2026<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Former Australian special forces soldier Ben Roberts-Smith has been arrested at Sydney airport and is expected to face charges for alleged war crimes committed in Afghanistan, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).<\/p>\n The 47-year-old was expected to appear in a court in New South Wales later on Tuesday over five counts of the war crime of murder, related to unarmed Afghan nationals who \u201cwere not taking part in hostilities at the time of their alleged murder\u201d, Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett told reporters in Sydney on Tuesday, according to the ABC.<\/p>\n list of 4 items<\/span>end of list<\/span><\/section>\n Barrett said the charges followed a \u201ccomplex\u201d investigation by the AFP news agency and the Office of the Special Investigator (OSI) dating back to 2021.<\/p>\n The arrest comes after Roberts-Smith lost defamation proceedings<\/a> he brought against journalists who had reported he was \u201ccomplicit in and responsible for the murder\u201d of three Afghan men.<\/p>\n An Australian judge found in 2023 that those journalists had not defamed<\/a> Roberts-Smith, a ruling that was upheld by the Full Court of the Federal Court of Australia in May last year.<\/p>\n Rawan Arraf, the executive director of the Australian Centre for International Justice, said the arrest was a \u201csignificant and long-awaited step for victims and affected communities\u201d in Afghanistan, where Roberts-Smith was deployed multiple times.<\/p>\n \u201cThe proper investigation and prosecution of alleged war crimes by members of the Australian special forces in Afghanistan are essential to ensuring justice for Afghan victims and to Australia meeting its obligations under international law,\u201d Arraf said in a statement.<\/p>\n About 39,000 Australian soldiers were deployed to Afghanistan as part of the United States and NATO-led operations against the Taliban and other armed groups over two decades.<\/p>\n Roberts-Smith\u2019s case has drawn considerable scrutiny in Australia, including because prior to the charges, he had received the Victoria Cross medal for his fifth tour of Afghanistan, and was reportedly the most-decorated living Australian war veteran.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, former Australian army lawyer David McBride remains imprisoned in Australia over his role in revealing information<\/a> about alleged Australian war crimes in Afghanistan.<\/p>\n Australian Senator David Shoebridge responded to the news of Roberts-Smith\u2019s arrest by saying \u201cRelease David McBride\u201d in a short post on X.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/021059e7440d45cba3c79e9ae03f3bbf_6.jpeg?resize=96%2C96&quality=80)
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