An RACGP employee and SAS veteran has been charged with war crimes over the alleged murder of an Afghan man while on deployment.

The AFP and the Office of the Special Investigator, the unit set up to investigate potential war crimes in Afghanistan, said the man was the first former Australian soldier charged with murder under federal war crimes legislation.

“He has been remanded in custody and is expected to appear in Downing Centre Local Court [in Sydney] at a later date,” the joint statement said.

“It will be alleged he murdered an Afghan man while deployed to Afghanistan with the Australian Defence Force.”