Jailed whistleblower David McBride is eligible for parole from today, with the decision in the hands of Attorney-General Michelle Rowland.
The former military lawyer was convicted in 2024 for stealing and sharing top-secret defence material with journalists.
He pleaded guilty to three charges, including theft, and was sentenced by the ACT Supreme Court to five years and eight months' jail.
But he becomes eligible for parole on Thursday having served two years and three months behind bars at the Alexander Maconochie Centre in Canberra.
The decision lies with Attorney-General Michelle Rowland, whose department is responsible for parole decisions for federal prisoners.
If he is granted parole, McBride will be allowed to serve the rest of his sentence in the community under supervision and conditions.
McBride, who completed two tours of Afghanistan as a lawyer, originally brought the story to journalists in 2017 out of concern SAS soldiers were being wrongly accused and illegally investigated for war crimes by an "over-zealous" ADF leadership.
His aim was to expose what he believed was the "over-investigation" of soldiers in Afghanistan.
But his decision backfired, with the ABC's The Afghan Files story instead revealing allegations that Australian soldiers were involved in illegal killings.
It prompted raids of the ABC's Sydney bureau and of the apartment where McBride had lived, while he fled to Spain.
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