Former Australian soldier charged with Afghanistan war crimes offence

The Australian Federal Police have arrested an Australian veteran in relation to an alleged war crime during the man's deployment in Afghanistan.

A 41-year-old man was arrested in regional New South Wales and will face a regional court later today, the AFP said. Source: AAP

Key Points

• The Australian Federal Police said a 41-year-old man was arrested on a war crimes charge.
• It will be alleged he murdered an Afghan man while deployed to Afghanistan with the ADF.
• The maximum penalty for a war crime (murder) offence is life imprisonment.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) have arrested a former Australian soldier and charged him with a war crimes offence in relation to the man's deployment in Afghanistan.

The 41-year-old man was arrested in regional NSW, was remanded in custody and did not apply for bail during Monday's hearing and bail was formally refused, an AFP spokeswoman told AAP.

He is due to face court again in Sydney in May.

SBS News has not been able to independently verify the man's identity.

It will be alleged he murdered an Afghan man while deployed to Afghanistan with the Australian Defence Force, the AFP said.

This is the first war crime charge of murder to be laid against a serving or former Australian Defence Force member under Australian law.

The maximum penalty for this offence is life imprisonment.

The AFP declined to comment further as the matter will be before the court and an investigation is ongoing.

Together with the Office of the Special Investigator (OSI), a body set up to probe alleged war crimes, the AFP are working to investigate allegations of criminal offences by defence personnel in Afghanistan between 2005 and 2016.