Ben Roberts-Smith, a war veteran, will continue to be held in custody after his legal team did not request bail, leading to the postponement of his criminal proceedings until June.
The 47-year-old, who has been awarded the Victoria Cross, faces five charges of war crimes related to murder during his deployment in Afghanistan from 2009 to 2012. These accusations involve the killings of unarmed Afghan individuals who were not engaged in combat and had been detained.
After spending the night at the Silverwater Prison Complex in Sydney, Mr. Roberts-Smith was not required to attend the virtual court session on Wednesday morning, presided over by Judge Lucas Swan.
Although his attorney requested an in-person hearing at the Downing Centre in Sydney, they conceded that this possibility seemed unlikely. Consequently, the court has set a new date for June 4, when Mr. Roberts-Smith is anticipated to participate via video link.
