Australia war hero appeals court ruling of complicity in Afghan murders (updated)

Nine Entertainment Holdings

11/07/2023 07:44

(Adds comment from Nine Entertainment, paragraphs 6-8)
    By Byron Kaye
       SYDNEY, July 11 (Reuters) - Australia's most decorated
living war veteran lodged an appeal on Tuesday against a civil
court defamation ruling that found he played a part in the
murder of four Afghans while serving in Afghanistan, court
records showed. 
    Former SAS corporal Ben Roberts-Smith, who won Australia's
highest military honour the Victoria Cross for his actions in
Afghanistan, had sued three Nine Entertainment  NEC.AX 
newspapers and their journalists over articles that accused him
of killing unarmed Afghan civilians outside the rules of war.
    But a Federal Court judge ruled on June 1 that the
newspapers had proven most of their allegations.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N37T0GB 
    Roberts-Smith filed an appeal on July 11, the court said in
a website post, without providing any further details.
    A lawyer for Roberts-Smith did not respond to a request from
Reuters for comment. 
    Nine's managing director of publishing, James Chessell, said
the company would oppose the appeal.
    "We believe the Federal Court's judgment is comprehensive
and categorical," Chessell said in a statement.
    " We will always stand up for journalism that is in the
public interest."
    Roberts-Smith, who was not in court for the June 1 judgment,
was quoted as saying on June 15 that he stood by his actions
while serving in the military and disagreed with the outcome of
his lawsuit.
    "It's a terrible outcome and it's the incorrect outcome," he
was quoted telling Nine's television arm.
    "We will look at (the judgement) and consider whether or not
we need to file an appeal," he said at the time.

 (Reporting by Byron Kaye; editing by Robert Birsel)
 ((byron.kaye@thomsonreuters.com; +612 9171 7541; @byronkaye;))