This Sunday, a special edition of the program will reveal more about the situation in Afghanistan following the verdict of Ben Roberts-Smith.
Reporter Tom Steinfort, alongside cameraman Scott Morelli and sound recordist Matt Brown, ventured to Kabul in perilous circumstances to interview Afghan witnesses of Roberts-Smith’s alleged crimes.
This brave act makes the 60 MINUTES team the first Australian media to visit Afghanistan following the Taliban’s regaining control in August 2021.
In an unimaginable verdict, Federal Court Justice Anthony Besanko has ruled that Ben Roberts-Smith, the nation’s most esteemed soldier and Victoria Cross awardee, was indeed a murderer and a war criminal. The significant defamation trial verdict, viewed by many Australians with disbelief, was declared on Sunday, 04 June.
Roberts-Smith initiated legal proceedings against Nine Newspapers and journalists Nick McKenzie and Chris Masters following a series of defamatory articles published about him in 2018. Their groundbreaking investigation painted a vastly different portrait of Roberts-Smith, claiming he was not the hero of the Afghanistan war as many believed, but rather a violator of military laws and moral codes.
According to the reporters, Roberts-Smith was allegedly involved, both directly and indirectly, in the killing of several innocent Afghan civilians and persons-under-control (PUCs). He was also accused of engaging in multiple violent acts such as bullying and intimidating fellow Special Air Service (SAS) soldiers.
Despite the critical nature of the judgement, Roberts-Smith was not present in Sydney to hear Justice Besanko’s decision, choosing to vacation in Bali instead.
McKenzie and Masters, speaking outside the Federal Court, emphasised the crucial role of journalists in bringing truth to light, even when the revealed misconduct may bear grave national security implications. They expressed gratitude for the courage of the SAS soldiers who stood up for the truth.
60 MINUTES, since 2019, has backed the reportage of McKenzie and Masters, airing numerous stories regarding atrocities committed by Australian soldiers during the Afghanistan war.
The special report on Ben Roberts-Smith, “Inside the Trial,” will air on Channel 9 and 9Now at 8.40pm on 04 June, promising a deeper look into the truth of what really transpired in Afghanistan.
The 9 Network has released the following statement, post the Ben Roberts-Smith defamation judgement. The statement was released on behalf of:
– James Chessell, Nine’s Managing Director, Publishing
and
– Tory Maguire, Executive Editor, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age
We welcome the Federal Court’s judgement that investigations by The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald were correct in their reporting that Ben Roberts-Smith committed war crimes.
The finding by Justice Anthony Besanko today that Roberts-Smith participated in the execution of Afghans confirms our reports that the Victoria Cross recipient breached the Geneva Convention, and is a critical step towards justice for the families of the murder victims.
The judgement is a vindication for journalists Nick McKenzie and Chris Masters, who began reporting this difficult and complicated story more than seven years ago.
It is a vindication for the many people in our newsrooms and our organisation who supported this important public interest journalism.
And, most importantly, it’s a vindication for the brave soldiers of the Australian Defence Force’s SAS who served their country with distinction and then had the courage to speak the truth about what happened in Afghanistan.
Nick McKenzie and Chris Masters painstakingly pieced together these investigations, and today’s judgement exemplifies how the exhaustive public interest journalism of The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald serves our community.
The series of stories at the centre of this trial will have a lasting impact on the Australian Defence Force and how our soldiers conduct themselves during conflict.
Today is obviously a pivotal moment in this story and we are very pleased with the result – but it’s critical to acknowledge that it goes on beyond this judgement. We will continue to hold people involved in war crimes to account.
The responsibility for these atrocities does not stop with Ben Roberts-Smith.
Publishing a story of this magnitude is never easy, but high quality investigative journalism is vital to a thriving democracy.
Nine’s unequivocal backing of this reporting and our defence of it is a clear demonstration of its commitment to quality journalism.
