War Crime Charges Against Victoria Cross Winner

0:00Ben Robert Smith, the Victoria Crosswinner, and former elite soldier, faces five counts of war crime murder for allegedly ordering the execution of. Unarmed Afghan detainees back in 2009 and 2012. Core papers just released show three fellow soldiers, given immunity deals, and meeting they carried out killings either on his direct orders or with, his involvement. These guys provided written statements detailing their roles, and the document lays out how the deaths were covered up in military reports. Robert Smith got bail last Friday from a new South Wales court, but with tight rules and a $250,000 security deposit. He's a 47-year-old XSAS soldier who lost a big defamation fight against newspapers, where a judge ruled similar murder claims were mostly. True, under civil standards, now it's criminal court, so prosecutors got to prove it beyond reasonable doubt, which is a higher bar. The allegations paint a pattern of detainees getting handcuffed, questioned, then killed

1:01in spots under Australian control, with fake evidence planted, to make it look like legit fights. Incidents hit places like Whiskey 108 and Villages in Uresgan province. The case heads back to court in early June, and his team says it'll drag on for years through untested legal ground, leaving everyone watching how. This shakes out for one of Australia's decorated heroes. Global news, powered by AI. This is Sydney News Today.