A former NRL star of Afghan descent has slammed the Brisbane Broncos for allowing accused war criminal Ben Roberts-Smith into their sheds following Sunday’s loss to St George.
The former SAS corporal and Victoria Cross recipient was spotted inside Brisbane’s sheds after the Broncos slumped to a 30-26 defeat at Suncorp Stadium, becoming the first team to lose to St George Illawarra this season.
Roberts-Smith later revealed he attended the match with his daughters as guests of the club.
‘The Broncos invited my daughters today because of all the things they have been through and we were very grateful,’ he said.
The visit sparked debate online, with supporters and critics clashing over whether it was appropriate for the Broncos to host Roberts-Smith while he fights serious criminal charges.
Omar Slaimankhel, who played for the New Zealand Warriors in 2012, said it was ‘deeply troubling’ to see the accused war criminal mingling with the Broncos post-game.
Ben Roberts-Smith was spotted inside Brisbane’s sheds at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday
Omar Slaimankhel (foreground, right) is offended by the fact the Broncos allowed an accused war criminal into their dressing sheds on Sunday
Roberts-Smith was popular at this year’s Anzac Day dawn service
‘It’s deeply troubling that someone charged with war crimes continues to be given a platform in public spaces,’ Slaimankhel said.
‘This isn’t about my Afghan background, I speak first as a human being.
‘This is yet another chapter in a decades-long pattern of dehumanising people from the Middle East, and quietly burying the crimes of imperialism.
‘Their [Broncos] invitation to him says everything.’
Slaimankhel was born in Pakistan to Afghan refugee parents.
When he was two years old his family moved to New Zealand after fleeing Afghanistan to neighbouring Pakistan on foot because of ongoing war.
Roberts-Smith was arrested at Sydney Airport in April and charged with five counts of war crime murder.
He has categorically denied the allegations and is expected to vigorously contest the charges.
Roberts-Smith watched Sunday’s Brisbane match against St George Illawarra (pictured) with his daughters
Roberts-Smith has been charged with five war crime murder offences over allegations he killed two unarmed civilians while deployed in Afghanistan
Slaimankhel, who is currently in China for work, appeared on the 18th season of The Block, which he won and, with his friend Oz Malik, pocketed a then-record profit of $1.69million.
The 34-year-old was named fullback in the 2011 Toyota Cup team of the year – the NRL’s under-20s competition.
Roberts-Smith is friends with Broncos welfare officer Adam Walsh, who is a former SAS soldier who served with him overseas.
Roberts-Smith has been charged with five war crime murder offences over allegations he killed two unarmed civilians while deployed in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012.
He was also accused of aiding, abetting or counselling another person to commit a murder on three separate occasions.
Roberts-Smith has been accused of kicking an Afghan civilian off a cliff, and directing another soldier to execute a man in September 2012.
He is also alleged to have executed a prisoner with a prosthetic leg in Afghanistan in 2009.
The maximum penalty for each offence is life imprisonment. Roberts-Smith has consistently maintained his innocence.
Many fans defended Roberts-Smith and argued he should continue to be treated as innocent until proven guilty.
Others described him as a war hero and said the Broncos were right to welcome him into the dressing room.
A recurring theme among supporters was the belief Roberts-Smith should not be judged before his case is heard in court.
‘Whatever happened to ‘innocent until proven guilty’?’ one supporter wrote.
Some argued the club should have avoided the controversy given the charges he currently faces, while others mocked the timing of the visit after Brisbane’s upset loss.
One described the decision as ‘very, very poor form’.
Roberts-Smith will not know of the full suite of war crimes allegations against him for months, due to classified information being included in the case.
The case against him is mired in delays stretching to September due to national security issues, Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court was told on Tuesday.
Roberts-Smith has not entered pleas to any of the charges but has said he would use an upcoming trial to clear his name.
