Media, government and military not affording SAS personnel 'due process': Heston Russell
6.5 هزار بار بازدید -
4 سال پیش
-
Retired Special Forces Commander Heston
Retired Special Forces Commander Heston Russell has criticised media, government, and military officials for 'not affording the due process" to special forces personnel accused of alleged war crimes in Afghanistan seven years ago as outlined in the Brereton Report.
"The lowest of the low is that you continue to stand here and accuse them of crimes that they're about to stand in an investigation and must stand in court. No one, including the Prime Minister, is judge, jury and advocate," he said.
"The allegations are confronting, are shocking and - if proven - are un-Australian, but what is un-Australian is not affording them due process."
Mr Russell said military officials had lost his trust, and the trust of veterans and their families, after it was revealed the move to strip citations from more than 3,000 special forces personnel was decided more than six months before the release of the report.
"Why are we making a decision here and now on credible information and not allowing due process? Can we please have these conversations when we actually have facts proven through the legal process and not opinions," he said.
"I was there on the ground. I did not see these things. If any of you here were on the ground and saw them then please feel free to speak up, otherwise, let's allow the process to do what it's been designed to do under our democratic system.
"The Brereton Report is judging the behaviour of a unit seven years ago as at the last report. Right here and now, the unit - including two squadrons and 3,000 special forces personnel are being judged on actions and opinions of culture from seven years ago. How do you do that? I don't know."
"The lowest of the low is that you continue to stand here and accuse them of crimes that they're about to stand in an investigation and must stand in court. No one, including the Prime Minister, is judge, jury and advocate," he said.
"The allegations are confronting, are shocking and - if proven - are un-Australian, but what is un-Australian is not affording them due process."
Mr Russell said military officials had lost his trust, and the trust of veterans and their families, after it was revealed the move to strip citations from more than 3,000 special forces personnel was decided more than six months before the release of the report.
"Why are we making a decision here and now on credible information and not allowing due process? Can we please have these conversations when we actually have facts proven through the legal process and not opinions," he said.
"I was there on the ground. I did not see these things. If any of you here were on the ground and saw them then please feel free to speak up, otherwise, let's allow the process to do what it's been designed to do under our democratic system.
"The Brereton Report is judging the behaviour of a unit seven years ago as at the last report. Right here and now, the unit - including two squadrons and 3,000 special forces personnel are being judged on actions and opinions of culture from seven years ago. How do you do that? I don't know."
4 سال پیش
در تاریخ 1399/09/17 منتشر شده
است.
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