Victoria Cross Winner Arrested for War Crimes Allegations

Former soldier Ben Roberts-Smith, a recipient of the Victoria Cross, was arrested at Sydney airport. This detention relates to alleged war crimes committed during his service.

Roberts-Smith had previously been accused in a defamation suit of murdering unarmed civilians while serving with the Australian SAS in Afghanistan. He had sued newspapers over these allegations but ultimately lost the case.

A judge determined, based on the balance of probabilities, that Roberts-Smith was responsible for four murders. His subsequent appeals to the federal court and a refusal from the high court to hear further appeals concluded this legal process.

Guardian Australia has contacted government offices regarding this development.