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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Ben Doherty

Ben Roberts-Smith defamation trial: SAS colleague felt threatened to testify by newspapers, court hears

Ben Roberts-Smith arrives at the federal court in Sydney. A former SAS colleague has refused to answer question about a mission to Fasil in Afghanistan on grounds of self-incrimination
Ben Roberts-Smith arrives at the federal court in Sydney. A former SAS colleague has refused to answer questions about a mission to Fasil in Afghanistan on grounds of self-incrimination. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP

An SAS soldier who refused to answer questions about an alleged unlawful killing in Afghanistan has told the federal court he felt threatened to testify by the newspapers being sued by Ben Roberts-Smith.

The soldier, anonymised before the court as Person 56, refused to answer questions about a 2012 mission to Fasil, where, it has previously been alleged, he and Roberts-Smith were responsible for the unlawful killing of two Afghan men who had been taken prisoner from a vehicle.

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