The suspect, identified as Shamim Mafi, is accused of brokering deals involving drones, bombs, bomb fuses and large quantities of ammunition between Iranian entities and the Sudanese Armed Forces, according to statements by U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli.

Mafi, an Iranian national who became a lawful permanent resident of the United States in 2016, was taken into custody on Saturday night and is scheduled to appear in federal court in Los Angeles on Monday. Authorities said it was not immediately clear whether she had secured legal representation.

A criminal complaint filed on March 12 alleges that Mafi and an unnamed associate operated a company based in Oman, Atlas International Business, which prosecutors say was used to channel arms transactions. The firm reportedly received more than $7 million in payments in 2025 linked to these activities.

Court documents also allege that Mafi helped arrange the sale of 55,000 bomb fuses to Sudan’s Ministry of Defense and submitted a letter of intent to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to procure the materials.If convicted, Mafi could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

The case comes amid Sudan’s protracted civil war, now in its fourth year, which has triggered a severe humanitarian crisis marked by widespread displacement and acute shortages of food and basic supplies.

The 47-year-old former member of the Australian Defence Force was detained at Sydney Airport and will face charges carrying a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, according to the Australian Federal Police.

Police allege the victims were not participating in hostilities and were detained, unarmed, and under the control of Australian forces at the time of their deaths. Authorities further allege the killings were either carried out directly by Roberts-Smith or by subordinates acting under his orders.

Roberts-Smith, who received the Victoria Cross for his service, has previously denied wrongdoing. Allegations against him first emerged in 2018 through media investigations and later became the subject of a high-profile defamation case.

In 2023, a Federal Court judge ruled that reports by Nine Entertainment had substantially proven several accusations, including the unlawful killing of detainees. His final appeal was dismissed by the High Court in 2025.The charges follow a broader inquiry into alleged misconduct by elite Australian forces in Afghanistan.

A 2020 military report found credible evidence that members of the Special Air Service Regiment unlawfully killed dozens of prisoners and civilians.The investigation into Roberts-Smith was conducted jointly by the Australian Federal Police and the Office of the Special Investigator, led by Ross Barnett, who said the process was complicated by limited access to crime scenes in Afghanistan.

Authorities said 53 war crimes allegations have been examined, with several cases ongoing. Another former special forces soldier is scheduled to stand trial on similar charges next year.

Roberts-Smith is expected to appear before a court in New South Wales later on Tuesday.

The conviction is part of a broader investigation into the embezzlement of funds allocated for border defense infrastructure in the Kursk region, which borders Ukraine.

Authorities have pursued multiple former officials in the region following allegations that money intended to strengthen frontier defenses was misappropriated.

Parts of the Kursk region were seized by Ukrainian forces for several months in 2024, underscoring its strategic importance.

Details of the specific charges against Smirnov were not immediately disclosed, but the case reflects an ongoing crackdown on corruption linked to defense spending in border areas.

The 47-year-old suspect, whose identity has not been officially confirmed by authorities, was arrested at Sydney Airport after arriving on a domestic flight from Brisbane, Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said.

He is due to appear in a Sydney court later on Tuesday.Police allege the victims were not taking part in hostilities at the time of their deaths and were detained, unarmed, and under the control of members of the Australian Defence Force.

Barrett said the accused either directly carried out the shootings or ordered subordinate personnel to do so.The charges come as part of a broader investigation into alleged misconduct by elite Australian forces in Afghanistan.

A landmark 2020 military inquiry found credible evidence that special forces personnel unlawfully killed 39 Afghan prisoners, farmers, and other noncombatants.Barrett said the latest case involved only a limited number of personnel and emphasized that the allegations did not reflect the conduct of the wider military.

She described the accused actions as confined to “a very small section” of the defence force.The Office of the Special Investigator, established to examine war crimes allegations, has reviewed 53 incidents to date, with 39 cases concluding without charges, according to its director Ross Barnett.

The case follows separate proceedings against former SAS soldier Oliver Schulz, who has pleaded not guilty to a charge of war crime murder over the alleged killing of an Afghan man in Uruzgan province in 2012.

War crime murder is a federal offense in Australia and carries a potential sentence of life imprisonment. Around 40,000 Australian personnel served in Afghanistan between 2001 and 2021, during which 41 troops were killed.

James Broadnax has spent more than 16 years on death row in a 6-by-10-foot cell in Texas, where he has developed routines to manage prolonged isolation, including writing poetry to pass time, according to accounts of his daily life and legal filings connected to his case.

Broadnax, 37, often writes spoken word poetry at a small desk inside his cell, describing the process as immersive and mentally absorbing. In a recent piece featured in the documentary Solitary Minds, he writes about losing himself in what he calls a “time gap,” reflecting on confinement and uncertainty.

His work includes lines describing prolonged incarceration and the emotional strain of awaiting an unresolved fate.His engagement with writing dates back to his teenage years, when he wrote rap lyrics in notebooks with aspirations of becoming a professional musician.

That earlier creative output later became a focal point during his criminal trial, where prosecutors introduced his lyrics as part of the case against him.Broadnax is scheduled to be executed on April 30 in Huntsville, Texas, where he is expected to receive a lethal injection of pentobarbital.

His conviction stems from a 2009 case in which he and his cousin were found guilty of the murders of two men, Matthew Butler and Stephen Swan, during a robbery in Garland, Texas.During the trial, prosecutors presented Broadnax’s rap lyrics as evidence, arguing they reflected violent tendencies and supported claims that he posed a continuing threat.

According to legal representatives and advocacy groups, the use of those writings played a role in the jury’s assessment during sentencing.Defense attorney Liles has argued that the inclusion of the lyrics contributed to an outcome that relied on character interpretation rather than direct evidence tied to the crimes.

In statements supporting ongoing legal appeals, Liles said the case raised concerns about whether artistic expression was improperly used to influence a capital sentencing decision.

Legal challenges now before the U.S. Supreme Court focus on whether the use of Broadnax’s lyrics violated constitutional protections, including due process and equal protection under the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments.

His legal team has filed a petition requesting intervention to halt the execution, asserting that the evidentiary use of creative writing unfairly prejudiced the outcome.

In support of the appeal, a group of 16 artists and public figures submitted an amicus brief, including musicians and actors who argued that artistic expression in other genres has historically not been treated as literal evidence of criminal intent.

The filing draws comparisons to well-known songs in country, reggae and pop music that include fictional or exaggerated narratives involving violence or wrongdoing, which have not led to similar legal scrutiny.

The brief references examples such as Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues” and Bob Marley’s “I Shot the Sheriff,” noting that such works have been widely interpreted as storytelling rather than confessions of real-world acts.

The document argues that rap music, in contrast, has been disproportionately subjected to literal interpretation in legal contexts.Erik Nielson, a professor at the University of Richmond who has studied the use of rap lyrics in criminal proceedings for nearly 15 years, said such cases reflect a broader pattern.

Nielson, co-author of the book Rap on Trial, maintains a database documenting instances where prosecutors have introduced rap lyrics as evidence, often to establish motive or character.

According to Nielson, the practice is largely confined to rap music and has not been applied consistently across other artistic forms. He said this disparity raises questions about cultural interpretation and potential bias in how different genres are treated within the judicial system.

Broadnax’s case has also drawn attention to jury selection practices during his trial. According to legal filings, prosecutors initially excluded Black jurors from the panel before the presiding judge intervened. The issue has been cited by defense attorneys as part of broader concerns about fairness in the proceedings.

The case comes amid ongoing debates within legal and academic circles about the admissibility of artistic expression as evidence. Critics argue that such material can be misinterpreted or taken out of context, particularly when presented to juries unfamiliar with the conventions of specific genres.

Supporters of its use contend that it can offer insight into a defendant’s mindset when considered alongside other evidence.

Broadnax’s lawyers argue that, in this instance, the lyrics were treated as literal representations of intent rather than creative expression, potentially influencing the jury’s determination that he posed a future danger, a key factor in capital sentencing decisions in Texas.

As the scheduled execution date approaches, the Supreme Court petition represents the final legal avenue for a stay. The outcome could have broader implications for how courts evaluate creative works in criminal trials, particularly in cases involving severe penalties.

Broadnax remains on death row awaiting the court’s response, continuing to write poetry as part of his daily routine while his legal team pursues last-minute efforts to halt the execution.