Roberts-Smith War Crimes Appeal Rejected: High Court Next

Australia: Ben Roberts-Smith Loses Appeal, Plans High Court Challenge Ben Roberts-Smith, a decorated Australian soldier, has lost his appeal against a Federal Court ruling that found him guilty of war crimes. The court found sufficient evidence to support the original 2023 judgement, which concluded that Roberts-Smith murdered unarmed prisoners while serving in Afghanistan. Roberts-Smith, in a statement, said he would take the case to the High Court. "I did not receive a full and just hearing," he stated. The judges in the appeal unanimously agreed that the evidence presented at the trial was sufficient to support the findings against Roberts-Smith. The High Court will now consider whether there were any procedural errors that impacted the fairness of the original trial. This case has drawn significant public attention and debate in Australia, raising questions about the conduct of Australian soldiers during the Afghanistan War and the challenges of prosecuting war crimes.