Former Australian soldier arrested for alleged war crime in Afghanistan

For allegedly killing a civilian while on duty in Afghanistan, a former soldier has become the first active-duty or veteran Australian service member to be charged with a war crime.

In a statement released jointly by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the Office of the Special Investigator, it was revealed that the 41-year-old male was charged in New South Wales on Monday.

According to the AFP release, "He will be accused of murdering an Afghan man while serving with the Australian Defense Force in Afghanistan." 

The statement noted that the charge carries a possible sentence of life in prison. The defendant was kept in jail and would appear in court at a later time, it continued.

His arrest comes after a four-year probe into suspected crimes by Australian personnel in Afghanistan between 2005 and 2016.

According to the long-awaited report by the Australian Defense Force's inspector general, 39 Afghan civilians and inmates were allegedly killed by Australian elite forces in Afghanistan in 2020.

19 members of the Australian Special Forces were to be the subject of an investigation by the ADF over 36 alleged war crimes, including murder and the harsh treatment of civilians in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2013.

According to the investigation, "blood lust" and "competition killings" were commonplace. It was claimed that certain patrol commanders forced younger soldiers to "blood" prisoners in order to get their first kill.

The study stated that it had "credible information" that sometimes firearms or handheld radios were put beside bodies to give the impression that someone had been killed in action.

The study claims that none of the 39 alleged unlawful executions occurred during a fierce firefight and that the Afghans who died were either not fighting or were no longer fighting.

According to a statement released by AFP on Monday, the organization is still collaborating with the OSI "to investigate allegations of criminal offenses under Australian law related to breaches of the Laws of Armed Conflict by Australian Defense Force personnel in Afghanistan between 2005 and 2016."