Elon Musk Reiterates Stance on Roberts-Smith Arrest
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has again described the war crimes charges against Australia’s most decorated soldier, Ben Roberts-Smith, as ‘insane.’ Musk first commented last week and repeated the phrase Sunday night by reposting content from political activist Drew Pavlou on X.
Pavlou highlighted that two of the five alleged Afghan victims in the case remain unidentified, despite the investigation costing over $318 million.
Details of the Arrest and Charges
Federal Police arrested Roberts-Smith, a Victoria Cross recipient and former SAS soldier, last week at Sydney’s domestic airport upon his arrival from Brisbane with his two teenage daughters. Authorities charged him with five counts of murder related to incidents in Afghanistan’s Uruzgan Province between 2009 and 2012.
The probe, led by the Australian Federal Police and the Office of the Special Investigator, spanned five years.
Specific Allegations
Prosecutors claim Roberts-Smith intentionally caused a death during an April 12, 2009, operation in Kakarak and aided, abetted, counseled, or procured another person to do the same.
Additional charges stem from a September 11, 2012, incident in Darwan, where he allegedly assisted in an intentional killing. Further accusations involve actions on October 20, 2012, in Syahchow, including partnering with another individual to cause a death and aiding or procuring a killing there.
Among the claims, Roberts-Smith shot a captured man and used his prosthetic leg as a beer-drinking trophy. He also allegedly kicked a bound man off a 10-meter cliff before directing another soldier to shoot him.
Roberts-Smith, standing over two meters tall, was handcuffed and escorted through the airport. He has consistently denied the allegations, which surfaced in prior newspaper reports. He remains in custody pending a bail hearing on April 17.
