Australia war hero appeals civil court ruling of complicity in Afghan murders

Sydney, Australia – Australia’s most highly acclaimed living war veteran has lodged an appeal on Tuesday against a civil court defamation ruling. The court found that he played a role in the murder of four Afghans while serving in Afghanistan, according to court records.

Ben Roberts-Smith, a former SAS corporal and recipient of Australia’s highest military honor, the Victoria Cross, had taken legal action against three newspapers and their journalists. The articles accused him of killing unarmed Afghan civilians outside the rules of war.

However, on June 1, a judge from the Federal Court ruled in favor of the newspapers, as the majority of their allegations were proven true.

The court announced on its website that Roberts-Smith filed an appeal on July 11. Although no further details were provided, it demonstrates his determination to contest the ruling.

A representative for Roberts-Smith was not immediately available for comment.

There was also no immediate response from Nine Entertainment Co, the media company that owns the newspapers in question.

While not present during the June 1 judgment, Roberts-Smith expressed his dissatisfaction with the outcome. On June 15, he stated that he stood by his actions while serving in the military and disagreed with the result of his lawsuit.

In an interview with Nine’s television arm, he declared, “It’s a terrible outcome and it’s the incorrect outcome. We will look at the judgment and consider whether or not we need to file an appeal.”

Reporting by Byron Kaye; editing by Robert Birsel.