David McBride, an Australian ex-military lawyer jailed for leaking classified documents about Australia's involvement in Afghanistan, has been released on parole after serving 27 months of a five-year and eight-month sentence.

McBride pleaded guilty in 2024 to stealing top secret defence documents and providing them to the media. The leaked material formed the basis of the 2017 "Afghan Files" reports by the ABC, which revealed allegations of war crimes by Australia's elite special forces and led to a landmark inquiry. This inquiry found evidence that Australian forces unlawfully killed 39 Afghans during the war.

A spokesperson for Attorney-General Michelle Rowland confirmed on Thursday, August 13, 2026, that McBride's parole was "considered and granted." McBride, who is undergoing treatment for lung cancer, will serve the rest of his sentence under community supervision.

Following the parole decision, advocacy group The Information Rights Project issued a statement on McBride's behalf, as reported by the ABC. McBride expressed gratitude to his family "who never gave up on me and whose fighting spirit, love and humour inspired me every day" and thanked "all my amazing supporters from around both Australia and the world who sent me such inspirational messages."

His lawyer, Edwina Lloyd, described the parole decision as "the right one." During McBride's court case, prosecutors argued that his actions were motivated by "personal vindication" and that the manner in which he gathered, stored, and leaked the documents endangered Australia's national security and foreign policy. However, McBride's lawyers sought leniency, emphasizing the public interest served by the disclosures.

Sources