Australia's most decorated living soldier, Ben Roberts-Smith, has been released on bail after appearing on war crimes charges, the BBC reports.

The former special forces soldier now answers criminal allegations arising from his service in Afghanistan. He has previously and strenuously denied wrongdoing.

Roberts-Smith holds the Victoria Cross, Australia's highest military honour, awarded for actions in Afghanistan. His release on bail means he remains at liberty while the criminal process runs its course, subject to conditions imposed by the court.

Why does bail matter here?

Bail is not a judgment on guilt. It is an interim decision that the accused can remain free pending trial, typically because the court sees no unacceptable flight or interference risk. The practical consequence: the case will proceed through committal and trial stages with Roberts-Smith on conditional release rather than in custody.

What is the background?

The charges follow years of public scrutiny of alleged conduct by Australian special forces in Afghanistan, including the Brereton inquiry, which examined credible allegations of war crimes by Australian personnel. Roberts-Smith has consistently denied any involvement in unlawful killings.

A civil ruling in 2023 saw a Federal Court judge find, on the civil standard, that media reports accusing him of war crimes were substantially true. That was not a criminal conviction, but it marked a dramatic fall for a soldier once celebrated nationally.

What comes next?

The criminal proceedings will now move forward under standard court processes: committal, potential trial, and — if a conviction follows — sentencing. Each step will test evidence to the criminal standard, beyond reasonable doubt.

For legal observers, the case is a landmark: it is among the most prominent war crimes prosecutions of a Western special forces veteran and will test how national courts handle battlefield allegations from distant conflicts.