War crimes accused Roberts-Smith denies murdering civilians
Ben Roberts-Smith, Australia's most decorated living soldier, firmly denies murdering or ordering the deaths of five unarmed detainees in Afghanistan.
In a 2.5-hour radio interview aired Thursday, the 47-year-old former SAS soldier charged with war crimes flatly rejected accusations he shot civilians or broke the rules of engagement. "I didn't bloody murder anyone," Roberts-Smith said, denying all allegations against him.
Roberts-Smith is accused of machine-gunning an Afghan prisoner and ordering executions at multiple sites between 2009 and 2012. The Victoria Cross recipient also faces allegations he kicked a handcuffed prisoner off a 10-metre cliff and shot two other prisoners in a corn field.
"I wouldn't change a single thing. I would do it all exactly the same way because I know that I did the right thing," he told the interviewer, insisting he kept his soldiers alive while following military rules.
- Five unarmed detainees
- Detainees killed
- 2009 to 2012 in Afghanistan
- Service period
- Ben Fordham, 2GB radio
- Interview host
Why it mattersThe case will test whether Australia's military leadership can be held accountable for alleged atrocities, affecting how defence forces investigate war crimes claims.
AustraliaThis is Australia's highest-profile military war crimes case and touches on how the nation treats allegations of forces' conduct abroad and public trust in military leadership.
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