Australian accused of Afghanistan war crime pleads not guilty but trial held until at least 2027

['News Staff', 'The Associated Press', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Coauthors.Is-Layout-Flow', 'Class', 'Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus', 'Display Inline', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar', 'Where Img', 'Height Auto Max-Width', 'Vertical-Align Bottom .Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Coauthors.Is-Layout-Flow .Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar'] CityNews Halifax 2025-10-03 00:00:00

SYDNEY (AP) — The only Australian soldier to be charged with a war crime in Afghanistan pleaded not guilty Friday, but a prosecutor said he is unlikely to stand trial before 2027. Schulz made his first appearance in the New South Wales state Supreme Court in Sydney on Friday and pleaded not guilty to the war crime of murder. An Australian civil court found the nation’s most highly decorated veteran, Ben Roberts-Smith, had likely unlawfully killed four unarmed Afghans under Australian soldiers’ control between 2009 and 2012. The court had rejected Roberts-Smiths’ claim that he was defamed by news media that accused him of war crimes. The only Australian veteran to be convicted over war crime allegations in Afghanistan has been whistleblower David McBride.