A whistleblower jailed for leaking military secrets about Australia’s role in Afghanistan has been released on parole after serving 27 months.
In 2024, McBride was sentenced to five years and eight months for stealing top‑secret defence documents and passing them to the media. His leak formed the core evidence of the Brereton inquiry, which found credible evidence that Australian forces unlawfully killed 39 Afghans during the war.
Attorney‑General Michelle Rowland’s spokesperson confirmed that McBride’s parole was considered and granted. He will now serve the rest of his sentence in the community, under supervision, but will undergo surgery to remove part of a lung which he has been diagnosed with cancer.
The Information Rights Project released a statement applauding McBride and thanked his family, who “never gave up on me and whose fighting spirit, love and humour inspired me every day.” He also expressed gratitude to supporters worldwide who sent “inspirational messages”.
McBride’s lawyer, Edwina Lloyd, described the parole as “the right one”, noting that McBride’s career had been defined by service to the Australian Defence Forces and his subsequent incarceration.
During his court case, prosecutors argued that McBride’s actions were driven by “personal vindication” and posed a national‑security risk. In contrast, his defence team argued that the leaks were motivated by a sense of honour and personal duty, and called for leniency.
The judge remarked that, while McBride was of “good character”, the act of sharing military secrets was a “gross breach of trust” and that the defendant showed “no contrition” for his actions.
The documents leaked to the ABC underpinned a series of 2017 reports – the Afghan Files – offering unprecedented insight into Australian elite special forces in Afghanistan and raising allegations of war crimes.
In 2020, the Brereton Report concluded that elite soldiers had “unlawfully killed 39 people” during the conflict. A special watchdog, the Office of the Special Investigator, has closed 39 of its 53 cases, charging two former SAS soldiers.
Among those charged are Ben Roberts‑Smith, Australia’s most decorated living soldier, facing five counts of murder, and Oliver Schulz, facing one count of the same charge.
