SAS soldier facing war crime murder charge

A DECORATED Australian SAS veteran appeared in court on Monday charged with murdering an Afghan villager on the field of war.

Oliver Schulz, 41, who was awarded the Commendation for Gallantry for his service in Afghanistan, has become the first Australian Defence Force member to be charged with a war crime murder under Australian law.

Supportive colleagues said that after years of military inquiries and media accusations, they welcomed the chance for a court to “establish the truth”.

The ADF announced in 2020 that Schulz (pictured), of Moonbah near Jindabyne, had been suspended from duty after an ABC Four Corners report in 2020 allegedly showed him shooting an Afghan in a wheat field in the Uruzgan Province in Southern Afghanistan. Schulz was charged with one count of War Crime – Murder under subsection 268.70(1) Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth) which carries a maximum penalty of life in jail.

His case was mentioned in Queanbeyan Local Court late on Monday when Commonwealth prosecutor Sean Flood said Schulz was in police custody “between Cooma and Queanbeyan” and would not appear.

His defence lawyer Karen Espiner said he would not apply for bail and he was remanded in custody to appear at Downing Centre Local Court on May 16.

Police allege in court documents that Schulz caused the death of “Dad Mohammad” in Deh Jawz in Uruzgan Province on May 28, 2012 ”in the context of, and was associated with, an armed conflict that was not an international armed conflict”.

It was further alleged that Dad Mohammad “was not taking an active part in the hostilities” and Schulz “knew, or was reckless as to the factual circumstances establishing that the person was not taking an active part in the hostilities”.