- Australia's most decorated soldier, Ben Roberts-Smith, has publicly denied war crime allegations related to his deployments in Afghanistan.
- He is charged with five counts of war crimes, specifically the alleged murder of five unarmed Afghan civilians between 2009 and 2012.
- Roberts-Smith, a former Special Air Service corporal, said that he always acted within the rules of engagement and is determined to clear his name.
- Freed on bail this week, he faces a maximum jail term of life if convicted, with prosecutors alleging the victims were not involved in hostilities.
- In 2023, Roberts-Smith lost a defamation suit where he was found, on the balance of probabilities, to have been involved in the murder of four Afghan civilians.
IN FULL