Australian army whistleblower released on parole after more than two years in jail

David McBride, a former Australian Defence Force legal officer, has been released on parole after serving over two years in jail. He pleaded guilty to leaking military secrets concerning Australia's involvement in Afghanistan. The leaked material, published by the ABC in 2017 as "The Afghan Files," revealed insights into elite special forces and allegations of war crimes. Prosecutors argued McBride's actions were motivated by personal vindication and endangered national security, while his lawyers contended he acted with honorable intentions and a sense of duty. The judge stated McBride was of good character but his actions constituted a gross breach of trust. The leaks preceded the Brereton Report, which found credible evidence of unlawful killings by elite soldiers, leading to investigations and charges against some ADF members.

Former army lawyer David McBride has been released from prison in Canberra on parole after serving 27 months of his sentence. McBride was jailed for stealing and leaking secret defense documents concerning the Afghanistan war to the media, which formed the basis of "The Afghan Files" investigative series. He pleaded guilty to three charges, including stealing commonwealth information and passing it to journalists. The attorney general approved his release on parole after he served his full non-parole period. McBride stated he would make a further statement later and revealed he has been diagnosed with early-stage lung cancer.