David McBride on being sent to prison

2026-08-15

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Whistleblower David McBride has been released from prison on parole, after serving 27 months for leaking classified Defence documents to journalists. Those documents helped expose allegations of war crimes by Australian soldiers in Afghanistan. Years on, he’s still the only person to have been sent to prison over the Afghan Files. Today, as McBride is released, we’re returning to an interview Ashlynne McGhee recorded with him just before he was jailed – on why he leaked those documents, whether he had any regrets, and how Australia keeps its secre...

Whistleblower David McBride has been released from prison on parole, after serving 27 months for leaking classified Defence documents to journalists.

Those documents helped expose allegations of war crimes by Australian soldiers in Afghanistan.

Years on, he’s still the only person to have been sent to prison over the Afghan Files.

Today, as McBride is released, we’re returning to an interview Ashlynne McGhee recorded with him just before he was jailed – on why he leaked those documents, whether he had any regrets, and how Australia keeps its secrets.

This episode was first published in May 2024.

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Guest: Whistleblower and former military lawyer, David McBride

Photo: AAP Image/Mick Tsikas

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