WHAT WAS CLAIMED
Ben Roberts-Smith criticised the return of the "ISIS brides" in a Sydney Airport media appearance.
OUR VERDICT
False. Roberts-Smith did not speak to the media at Sydney Airport and the quotes attributed to him are fake.
AAP FACTCHECK - Former SAS soldier Ben Roberts-Smith did not criticise the return of Islamic State-linked Australians during an airport press conference, despite claims on social media.
There's no record of Roberts-Smith speaking to the media about the return of the four women, commonly referred to as the ISIS brides, and their nine children.
An image purporting to show him doing so is AI-generated.
The false claims have been posted by several foreign-run disinformation pages that regularly spread fake stories about Australian sport and politics on Facebook.
The Voice of Aus and Hawks United Facebook pages shared similar posts that attracted hundreds of comments from users who appear to believe the false claims.
"Ben Roberts-Smith, Australia's most decorated soldier, has spoken out after three ISIS brides were arrested at the airport," the May 9 posts said.
The posts then falsely quoted Roberts-Smith as saying: "As we have warned these women for a long time, if they choose to return to Australia, they will have to bear the full consequences of their actions. Now they have even caused chaos at the airport".
"Ben delivered a short, powerful statement that left everyone present stunned into silence, followed by hundreds of cheers and thunderous applause," the posts added.
The posts include a composite image of Roberts-Smith purportedly speaking to the media at Sydney Airport, and an image of a woman wearing a hijab beside a man wearing a hooded jacket.
Thirteen Australians flew into Melbourne and Sydney airports in May 2026 after leaving a detention camp in Syria that housed the family members of ISIS soldiers.
However, the quotes attributed to Roberts-Smith have been fabricated.
Roberts-Smith spoke to the media on April 19 after being granted bail on war crimes charges, and attended an Anzac Day ceremony on the Gold Coast on April 25, but there is no record of him holding a press conference on or around the day the so-called ISIS brides returned to Australia.
Additionally, the airport image shows clear signs it is AI-generated. Faces are distorted, and the text on microphones and airport signage is garbled and misshapen.
AAP FactCheck has published multiple stories about disinformation actors on Facebook, who often leverage high-profile news events and celebrities to drive engagement and traffic to ad-laden websites.
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