David McBride, the former Australian military lawyer who leaked defence documents exposing alleged war crimes in Afghanistan, has been released on parole after serving 27 months of a five-year, eight-month sentence. He pleaded guilty in 2023, and his leaks led to the Brereton Report, which found credible evidence Australian forces unlawfully killed 39 Afghans during the war.
McBride revealed he has been diagnosed with treatable lung cancer and will undergo surgery to remove part of his lung; he'll serve the rest of his sentence in the community under supervision. Prosecutors had argued his actions were driven by personal vindication and endangered national security, while his lawyers said he acted out of a sense of duty.
Two former special forces soldiers, Ben Roberts-Smith and Oliver Schulz, have since been charged with war crimes stemming from the inquiry McBride's leaks helped trigger.
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