A decorated former Australian soldier has been charged with the war crime of murder after being arrested in regional New South Wales this morning.
Following an investigation by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the Office of the Special Investigator (OSI), Oliver Schulz was taken into custody.
The 41-year-old has been charged with one count of war crime - murder.
9News understands the charge relates to the death of a man during a 2012 raid while Schulz was deployed to Afghanistan with the Australian Defence Force.
He is the first Australian serviceman or veteran to be charged with a war crime under Australian law, relating to the conflict in Afghanistan.
The maximum penalty for the charge is life imprisonment.
Schulz, a Special Air Service (SAS) veteran, was arrested after a years-long investigation into alleged war crimes in Afghanistan.
The AFP said it is continuing to work with OSI to investigate allegations of criminal offences under Australian law related to breaches of the Laws of Armed Conflict by Australian Defence Force personnel in Afghanistan between 2005 and 2016.
Schulz was refused bail this afternoon and will face a Sydney court in May.
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