• Ben Roberts-Smith has been arrested at Sydney Airport on war crime charges.
• The charges relate to the alleged murder of unarmed Afghan civilians between 2009 and 2012.
• Roberts-Smith's reputation as a war hero has significantly declined following these allegations.
• He had previously lost a defamation case against journalists reporting on these claims.
• The arrests are part of a broader investigation into Australian military conduct in Afghanistan.

Australia's most decorated living soldier, Ben Roberts-Smith, was arrested over allegations of war crimes committed in Afghanistan, specifically regarding the murder of unarmed civilians. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) detained him at Sydney Airport on Tuesday morning, and he is set to face five counts of murder charges stemming from incidents that occurred between 2009 and 2012, when he was deployed to Afghanistan. Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett stated that the alleged victims were "not taking part in hostilities at the time of their alleged murder," supporting the basis for these charges, according to BBC, Reuters, and South China Morning Post.

The arrests follow a protracted investigation by the AFP and the Office of the Special Investigator, which began in 2021. Roberts-Smith, who previously won the Victoria Cross for gallantry, is accused of overseeing or participating in the murders of Afghan civilians, with claims that he was present when these acts took place. Notably, these allegations have led to scrutiny of the actions of Australian soldiers during their deployment, especially after a 2020 investigation found significant evidence of unlawful killings by Special Air Service personnel, according to BBC, Reuters, and Al Jazeera.

Roberts-Smith's arrest comes after he lost a high-profile defamation case against journalists who accused him of complicity in the murders. The Federal Court ruled in 2023 that publications reporting on the allegations were not defamatory, underscoring the gravity of the charges against him. This case has drawn extensive media attention and has sparked discussions about the accountability of military actions undertaken by Australian forces in Afghanistan, as others involved in similar investigations face ongoing legal challenges, according to Reuters, South China Morning Post, and Al Jazeera.