David McBride released on parole in Canberra after serving 27 months

David McBride, the former army lawyer jailed for stealing and leaking secret defence documents about the Afghanistan war, has been released from prison in Canberra on parole. He left custody on Thursday after serving his full non-parole period of 27 months, according to the supplied material. The release follows approval from Attorney-General Michelle Rowland.

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McBride was sentenced in May 2024 to a maximum of five years and eight months in prison after pleading guilty to three charges. Those charges included stealing Commonwealth information and passing it to journalists at the public broadcaster. The case centred on documents he collected over an 18-month period in 2014 and 2015, which were later used in reporting on alleged war crimes by Australian defence personnel in Afghanistan.

A spokesperson for Rowland said McBride's parole had been considered and granted, while declining to provide further detail on the individual case. McBride said in a statement that he thanked Rowland for avoiding a longer fight over parole and said he would make a more comprehensive statement later. He also acknowledged his family, prison officers and fellow inmates, and said he had been diagnosed with treatable lung cancer in its early stages and was expected to undergo surgery soon.

The release is significant because the case has become a test of the balance between national security, military accountability and whistleblower protection in Australia. McBride's actions helped trigger public scrutiny of how allegations involving Australian forces in Afghanistan were handled, while the courts found his disclosure of secret material unlawful. His parole does not change the conviction, but it marks a new stage in a case that has remained closely watched because of its implications for defence secrecy and public-interest disclosure.

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The supplied material says McBride handed over 235 documents, and that the government argued some evidence in the case could have jeopardised the security and defence of Australia. It also notes that the ACT Supreme Court upheld a Commonwealth intervention to withhold key evidence before he pleaded guilty. Those details underline why the case has remained sensitive for both legal and political reasons, even after sentencing.

What remains unclear is the full set of parole conditions now applying to McBride and whether any further legal steps will follow. It is also not known from the supplied material how his health will affect his next steps after release. For now, the immediate development is that he has left prison under parole after serving 27 months of his sentence.

Australian whistleblower David McBride has been granted parole and is set to be released from a Canberra prison after serving more than two years behind bars. The decision was made by Attorney-General Michelle Rowland, according to a spokesperson for her office. McBride will remain under supervision in the community for the final three years of his sentence.

McBride became eligible for parole on Thursday after serving two years and three months in custody. He was convicted in 2024 of stealing top-secret defence material and sharing it with journalists. His case has drawn attention because he said he was trying to expose what he believed was the over-investigation of soldiers in Afghanistan.

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The material he passed on later contributed to reporting that raised allegations Australian soldiers were involved in illegal killings in Afghanistan. McBride's lawyer, Edwina Lloyd, said the decision to grant parole was the right one. She said his life had been defined by service to Australia, first as an army legal officer and later through 27 months in custody.

The case has become significant in Australia because it sits at the intersection of national security, military accountability and whistleblower protection. McBride's conviction followed a long-running debate over how allegations of wrongdoing by Australian forces in Afghanistan should be examined and disclosed. The parole decision does not alter the conviction, but it does mark a new stage in a case that has already prompted sustained public attention.

McBride's supporters have argued that his actions were in the public interest, while the courts reached a different conclusion on the legal issues in his case. The attorney-general's office said his parole had been considered and granted, but no further detail was provided in the material supplied. The case also reflects the continuing sensitivity around the handling of defence information and the limits of lawful disclosure in Australia.

What remains unclear from the available information is the exact timing of McBride's release and the full set of conditions attached to his supervision in the community. It is also not clear whether there will be any further legal steps connected to his conviction or sentence. For now, the key development is that he has been approved for parole and is expected to leave prison after more than two years in custody.

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