Australia arrests ex-soldier Roberts-Smith over alleged Afghan war crimes
By Lyndal Rowlands
Published on April 7, 2026.
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. The 47-year-old is accused of five counts of murder related to unarmed Afghan nationals who were not participating in hostilities at the time of their alleged murder. This arrest follows a defamation case brought against journalists who reported that Roberts-smith was involved in murders of three Afghan men. The charges were brought after a lengthy investigation by the AFP news agency and the Office of the Special Investigator (OSI).
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Australia arrests ex-soldier Roberts-Smith over alleged Afghan war crimes
Former Australian soldier Ben Roberts-Smith was arrested for alleged war crimes in Afghanistan, after losing defamation proceedings against journalists.