Australian military appeals war crimes conviction in Afghanistan

An Australian veteran accused in a civil court of killing four Afghan civilians has filed an appeal against the court's verdict.Benjamin Roberts-Smith, 44, is Australia's most decorated living soldier, convicted last month by the country's civil court judge Anthony Besanco of killing four Afghan civilians during his mission between 2006 and 2012. Smith had previously denied all allegations of "war crimes" in Afghanistan and said he was "proud" of his actions in Afghanistan.
 
Australian soldiers are accused of killing 39 Afghan civilians during their mission in Afghanistan. Previously, soldiers from Western countries, including American ones, who invaded Afghanistan as part of the NATO military coalition during the 20 years of occupation, were accused of killing civilians and committing horrific war crimes.
 
The Guardian wrote: "In his appeal, Benjamin Roberts-Smith challenged the court's verdict on all four killings of Afghan civilians."The report said that Smith's appeal will be heard by a full bench of the Federal Court of Australia, and due to its scope, the case is likely to take months.