Australia to strip medals from veterans after alleged war crimes

12/9/2024 11:58

        Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles said, Australia will strip military awards from a group of war veterans over allegations those under their command committed war crimes in Afghanistan.
        
        A four-year inquiry chaired by Major General Paul Brereton concluded in 2020 there was credible information of the alleged unlawful killing of 39 people by or involving 25 Australian Defence Force members, as part of a culture of forcing junior recruits to kill defenceless captives to "blood" them for combat.
        
        The defence minister said, as part of delivering the final recommendations of the inquiry, known as the Brereton Report, Marles had written to several officers who served in Afghanistan, to inform them that medals awarded for service would be withdrawn.
        
        The government has not named the officers who will lose awards or how many will be impacted.
        
        Following the recommendations of the report, 19 current and former members of Australia's military were referred to a special investigator to determine if there was sufficient evidence to prosecute.
        
        A former soldier was charged with war crimes last year.