Whistleblower David McBride Freed After 27 Months

David McBride, a former Australian army lawyer, has been released from prison on parole after serving 27 months for leaking secret defence documents about the Afghanistan war. McBride pleaded guilty to stealing commonwealth information and passing it on to journalists at the ABC, and was sentenced to a maximum of five years and eight months in jail in May 2024.

The attorney general, Michelle Rowland, approved McBride's release on Thursday. McBride collected 235 documents from defence offices between May 2014 and December 2015, with 207 of them classified as secret. The material he leaked to the ABC underpinned a series of reports in 2017 called The Afghan Files.

McBride has been diagnosed with treatable lung cancer and will undergo surgery. He thanked Rowland for sparing him another long fight over the question of parole, and acknowledged his family, prison officers, and fellow inmates. He also revealed that many people thanked him for allowing them to believe in the country again, and he thanked them for showing him there are good people in the world worth fighting for.

## What happens next McBride will serve the rest of his sentence in the community under supervision. His lawyer, Edwina Lloyd, described the decision to grant his parole as the right one, saying McBride's life has been defined by service to Australia, both as a legal officer for the Australian Defence Forces and having served time for his crimes.

## Why it matters The Brereton Report found credible evidence that elite soldiers have unlawfully killed 39 people. McBride's actions led to a landmark inquiry into Australia's involvement in Afghanistan, and his release on parole comes as he prepares to undergo surgery for lung cancer. The case has sparked debate about national security, freedom of information, and the treatment of whistleblowers.

McBride's release has been welcomed by advocacy groups, with The Information Rights Project releasing a statement on his behalf. His lawyer has praised the decision to grant his parole, saying it is the right one. As McBride prepares to serve the rest of his sentence in the community, his case will continue to be closely watched by those interested in issues of national security, freedom of information, and the treatment of whistleblowers.