Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Caracas: The United States attacks another alleged drug-trafficking ship off the coast of Colombia in the Pacific Ocean
Palestinian official urges world to force 'Israel' to comply with ICJ ruling: AFP
Israeli media says Knesset approved bill to annex in West Bank in preliminary reading
Kremlin: As part of strategic nuclear force exercise, Cruiser Bryansk launched Sineva ballistic missile from Barents Sea.
Kremlin: Yars Intercontinental Ballistic Missile launched from Plesetsk Cosmodrome at Kura test site in Kamchatka.
Kremlin: Strategic nuclear forces exercise took place under Putin's leadership.
Lebanese MP Imad Al-Hout, following his meeting with the Grand Mufti of the Republic: Lebanon is the last country to move toward peace and normalization [with "Israel"]
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in South Lebanon: One martyr reported in Israeli drone strike targeting motorcycle in Ain Qana.
Israeli media: Sirens sound in Nahal Oz settlement in Gaza Envelope.
Syria: Local sources report that General Security forces targeted the camp of French fighters from the 'al-Ghuraba division' in the Idlib countryside with mortar and tank shells.

SAS soldier sues newspapers for publishing war crimes in Afghanistan

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 5 Feb 2024 08:29
  • 1 Shares
3 Min Read

Ex-soldier Ben Roberts-Smiths loses a multi-million-dollar lawsuit after the court found that the newspapers were able to prove that the majority of their allegations were "substantially" true.

  • x
  • Former Australian soldier Ben Roberts-Smith arrives at the Federal Court in Sydney on June 9, 2021 (AP)
    Former Australian soldier Ben Roberts-Smith arrives at the Federal Court in Sydney on June 9, 2021 (AP)

The former member of Australia's elite Special Air Service (SAS) regiment, Ben Roberts-Smith, filed a lawsuit against three Australian newspapers for stories released in 2018 accusing him of involvement in the killings of unarmed Afghan prisoners.

This comes after Roberts-Smiths lost a multi-million-dollar lawsuit in June 2023, after the court found that the newspapers were able to prove that the majority of their allegations were "substantially" true.

The 45-year-old's lawyers, who filed an appeal, claimed that the courtroom judge, Justice Anthony Besanko, "erred" in assessing some of the evidence, while the appeal trial is scheduled to take two weeks.

During the trial, which spanned over a year and involved more than 100 days of evidence, shocking testimonies emerged regarding the killings carried out by Australian soldiers. 

The trial also shed light on a deeply divided and factionalized SASR, commonly known as SAS, marked by internal conflicts over decorations and medals. Some evidence indicated that the regiment was influenced by a "warrior culture" saturated with violence.

Related News

Australian court finds soldier guilty of war crimes

War culture and 'Whiskey 108'

It is worth mentioning that before the defamation trial, Roberts-Smith was Australia's most famous and distinguished living soldier, for winning the Victoria Cross - Australia's highest military honor - for "conspicuous gallantry" in Afghanistan while hunting down a senior Taliban commander.

However, The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, and The Canberra Times accused Roberts-Smith of taking part in criminal and immoral behavior while serving in Afghanistan, adding that he kicked an unarmed Afghan civilian off a cliff and ordered his subordinates to fire at him.

It is also stated that he participated in machine-gunning a man with a prosthetic leg and later bringing the leg to an army bar to use it as a drinking tool with colleagues.

Read next: Videos: Australian forces killing Afghan civilians as "quotas"

Roberts-Smith was found responsible for the killing of an elderly man found hiding in a tunnel as well during the same mission in 2009 when Australian forces attacked a compound codenamed "Whiskey 108".

According to the court ruling, Roberts-Smith was implicated in the murder of unarmed Afghan prisoners and has not been charged in a criminal court for the allegations.

  • Ben Roberts Smith
  • Afghanistan
  • War crimes in Afghanistan
  • Australian army
  • Australia
  • SAS

Most Read

Yemeni Armed Forces Chief of Staff Major General Mohammad Abd al-Karim al-Ghamari , during a ceremony in an undisclosed locations in Yemen, undate (Yemeni Military Media)

Yemeni Armed Forces mourn martyred Chief of Staff al-Ghamari

  • Politics
  • 16 Oct 2025
From previous scenes of the Qassam Brigades targeting an Israeli D9 bulldozer with a Yassin 105 shell, east of Deir al-Balah. (Military Media of the Qassam Brigades)

US knew fatal Rafah blast cause was not Hamas op., says journalist

  • Politics
  • 20 Oct 2025
Smoke and fire rises after 'Israel' launched airstrikes on the village of Ansar, Lebanon, October 16, 2025 (social media)

'Israel' launches two waves of brutal strikes on east, south Lebanon

  • Politics
  • 16 Oct 2025
A woman with her purchased groceries walks out from an underground market, in Beijing, Wednesday, August 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

Global brands in China face pressure from rising local rivals

  • Economy
  • 17 Oct 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
Nearly half of attacks in occupied al-Quds target Armenian Christians
Politics

Nearly half of attacks in occupied al-Quds target Armenian Christians

Greece rocked by EU farm subsidy scandal as dozens arrested
Economy

Greece rocked by EU farm subsidy scandal as dozens arrested

Netherlands holds talks with China after Beijing curbs Nexperia export.
Technology

Netherlands holds talks with China after Nexperia export's curb

Trump said to demand DOJ pay him $230 million for past cases: NYT
Politics

Trump said to demand DOJ pay him $230 mln for past cases: NYT

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS