Overview
- Roberts‑Smith, who was arrested in April and is on bail, has been charged with five counts of the war crime murder over alleged killings of Afghan detainees between 2009 and 2012.
- On Thursday he gave a pre‑recorded 2.5‑hour interview to 2GB’s Ben Fordham and used social accounts and a new clothing label, Epic 1 Two, to push his denials and personal narrative.
- Fact‑checks and the earlier Federal Court defamation judgment continue to contradict key elements of his account, including claims about who directed ‘throw‑down’ weapons and whether some victims were civilians.
- Conservative donors, commentators and right‑aligned outlets have publicly backed Roberts‑Smith, a development that commentators say broadens his reach and raises questions about media influence on potential jurors.
- The Federal Office of the Special Investigator, after a multi‑year probe led in part by senior counsel Mark Weinberg KC, stands by the decision to lay charges and the case will next return to court in December.