David McBride, a former army lawyer, has been released from prison in Canberra on Thursday, 13 August 2026. He was jailed for his role in stealing secret defence documents concerning the Afghanistan war and leaking them to the media.
McBride was sentenced to a maximum of five years and eight months in jail in May 2024. His release on parole follows the completion of his 27-month non-parole period.
In November, McBride pleaded guilty to three charges, including stealing commonwealth information and providing it to journalists at the ABC. This occurred after the ACT supreme court upheld a commonwealth intervention to withhold key evidence, which the government argued could jeopardise “the security and defence of Australia”.
Attorney General Michelle Rowland approved McBride’s release on Thursday. A spokesperson for Rowland confirmed the parole was considered and granted, but declined to provide specific commentary on individual parole matters.
McBride issued a statement thanking Rowland and revealed he has been diagnosed with early-stage, treatable lung cancer, for which he expects to undergo surgery imminently.