Latest news with #Dad Mohammad
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
Australian SAS soldier becomes first to face war crimes trial
A former SAS soldier is set to become the first Australian serviceman to face a war crimes trial after allegedly killing an unarmed Afghan farmer 13 years ago. Oliver Schulz, 43, has been charged over the death of villager Dad Mohammad, a father of two in his 20s, in May 2012. Helmet-cam footage allegedly shows Mr Schulz shooting the defenceless farmer three times in Dehjawze in the Uruzgan province in south Afghanistan. If found guilty, Mr Schulz could face a life sentence. The special forces trooper was arrested in the Southern Highlands in New South Wales in March 2023 after footage of the alleged attack was shown on Australia's public service broadcaster ABC three years earlier. On Wednesday, Greg Grogin, a Sydney court magistrate, committed the case to trial after nearly 18 months of delays. Earlier this year, Australian Defence Force (ADF) witnesses gave evidence in a committal hearing where the helmet-cam footage was repeatedly shown in court. The video was taken from the helmet camera of a dog handler on patrol with Mr Schulz during an ADF mission, codenamed Objective Young Akira, to kill or capture a Taliban insurgent, the court heard. 'You want me to drop this c—?' It shows an SAS dog attacking Mr Mohammad in a wheat field before the dog is called off, prosecutors have said. Mr Schulz, who completed multiple tours of Afghanistan and was commended for his gallantry, then allegedly turns his weapon on the farmer who is lying on the ground and says three times: 'You want me to drop this c—?' The soldier fires three shots at Mr Mohammad, who had a newborn and toddler at the time of his death, the footage purports to show. Afghan villagers made the ADF aware of the killing months after the raid but he was cleared by military investigators who ruled Mr Mohammad posed a direct threat. Investigators were told the farmer, who had a condition that stunted growth in one leg, was holding a radio and was 'tactically manoeuvring'. Mr Schulz was already the first Australian charged with a war crime and the trial is set to begin in October at the supreme court. He was granted bail despite the seriousness of the alleged offence over fears he could be targeted in jail. Under the Commonwealth Criminal Code, a perpetrator who knowingly or recklessly kills a non-combatant constitutes the war crime of murder. Mr Schulz was stood down by the ADF after the ABC broadcast in 2020, prompting a public outcry with then-prime minister Scott Morrison branding the footage 'shocking'.
RNZ News
2 days ago
- RNZ News
Former SAS trooper to be first Australian soldier to face war crime trial
By Sean Rubinsztein-Dunlop , ABC Former SAS soldier Oliver Schulz serving in Afghanistan. Photo: ABC / Supplied A former special forces trooper will be the first Australian soldier to stand trial for a war crimes charge, more than 13 years after he shot dead a villager in an Afghan field. Former SAS trooper Oliver Schulz, 43, was charged in 2023 with the war crime of murder after helmet-cam footage aired on the ABC's Four Corners showed him in 2012 shooting Afghan man Dad Mohammad. Local court Magistrate Greg Grogin today committed Schulz to stand trial in the NSW Supreme Court, after previously condemning delays from Commonwealth prosecutors. Schulz faced a committal hearing in April and May, in which the local court heard from Australian Defence Force (ADF) witnesses and repeatedly watched footage of the killing. Schulz could face life in jail if found guilty. The killing was first publicly revealed in March 2020 by ABC Investigations and Four Corners , sparking a three-year criminal investigation. The court heard that the footage, from the helmet camera of a dog handler on Schulz's patrol, showed an SAS dog attacking Dad Mohammad in a wheat field during an ADF mission in Uruzgan Province, in southern Afghanistan. The dog is then called off and Schulz is seen training his weapon on Dad Mohammad, who is lying on the ground. The soldier is heard asking three times: "You want me to drop this c***?" He then fires three shots at the man. Mohammad was in his 20s and a father of two girls - a newborn and toddler - at the time of his death. He had a condition that stunted growth in one leg. ABC Investigations and Four Corners identified the dead man and tracked down his father and brother during their investigation. Afghan villagers first complained to the ADF about the killing months after the 2012 raid. However, ADF investigators cleared Schulz, concluding that Dad Mohammad was lawfully killed because he posed a direct threat to the Australians. Investigators were told the Afghan man was holding a radio and "tactically manoeuvring". Schulz will face the Supreme Court in October for arraignment. Under the Commonwealth Criminal Code, a killing constitutes the war crime of murder if the victim is not a combatant or is out of action due to injury or damage. Prosecutors must also prove that the perpetrator knew, or was reckless to, this fact. The killing does not constitute a war crime if it occurred as a result of an attack on a military objective, during which the perpetrator did not expect excessive civilian casualties. - ABC
ABC News
2 days ago
- ABC News
Former SAS soldier Oliver Schulz committed to stand trial for war crimes charge of murder
A former special forces trooper will be the first Australian soldier to stand trial for a war crimes charge, more than 13 years after he shot dead a villager in an Afghan field. Former SAS trooper Oliver Schulz, 43, was charged in 2023 with the war crime of murder after helmet-cam footage aired on the ABC's Four Corners showed him in 2012 shooting Afghan man Dad Mohammad. Local court Magistrate Greg Grogin today committed Mr Schulz to stand trial in the NSW Supreme Court, after previously condemning delays from Commonwealth prosecutors. Mr Schulz faced a committal hearing in April and May, in which the local court heard from Australian Defence Force (ADF) witnesses and repeatedly watched footage of the killing. Mr Schulz could face life in jail if found guilty. The killing was first publicly revealed in March 2020 by ABC Investigations and Four Corners, sparking a three-year criminal investigation. The court heard that the footage, from the helmet camera of a dog handler on Mr Schulz's patrol, showed an SAS dog attacking Dad Mohammad in a wheat field during an ADF mission in Uruzgan Province, in southern Afghanistan. The dog is then called off and Mr Schulz is seen training his weapon on Dad Mohammad, who is lying on the ground. The soldier is heard asking three times: "You want me to drop this c***?" He then fires three shots at the man. Mr Mohammad was in his 20s and a father of two girls — a newborn and toddler — at the time of his death. He had a condition that stunted growth in one leg. ABC Investigations and Four Corners identified the dead man and tracked down his father and brother during their investigation. Afghan villagers first complained to the ADF about the killing months after the 2012 raid. However, ADF investigators cleared Mr Schulz, concluding that Dad Mohammad was lawfully killed because he posed a direct threat to the Australians. Investigators were told the Afghan man was holding a radio and "tactically manoeuvring". Mr Schulz will face the Supreme Court in October for arraignment. Under the Commonwealth Criminal Code, a killing constitutes the war crime of murder if the victim is not a combatant or is out of action due to injury or damage. Prosecutors must also prove that the perpetrator knew, or was reckless to, this fact. The killing does not constitute a war crime if it occurred as a result of an attack on a military objective, during which the perpetrator did not expect excessive civilian casualties.
