Australian army whistleblower released on parole after more than two years in jail
Summary
David McBride, an Australian army whistleblower jailed for leaking secret military documents about unlawful killings in Afghanistan, has been released on parole after serving 27 months of his five-year, eight-month sentence. McBride, who has lung cancer, will complete the rest of his sentence under community supervision.Key Facts
- David McBride pleaded guilty in 2023 to leaking top secret Australian Defence Force documents to the media.
- His leaks exposed evidence that Australian forces unlawfully killed 39 Afghan civilians during the war.
- McBride was sentenced to five years and eight months in prison but granted parole after 27 months.
- He is being treated for lung cancer and will have surgery to remove part of his lung.
- McBride’s actions led to a major inquiry and the establishment of a special watchdog investigating war crimes.
- Two former Australian special forces soldiers have been charged with murder based on these investigations.
- Prosecutors argued McBride acted out of personal reasons and endangered national security, while his lawyers said he acted with honorable intentions.
- The leaked information formed the basis of a 2017 media report called The Afghan Files, which revealed details of Australian military misconduct.
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