Whistleblower David McBride has been released from a Canberra prison after his bid for parole was successful.
McBride’s parole was considered and granted on Thursday morning, a spokesperson for attorney-general Michelle Rowland confirmed to AAP.
“The government does not provide specific commentary or details about individual parole matters,” the spokesperson said.
McBride served his full non-parole period of 27 months.
The former army lawyer was sentenced to a maximum of five years and eight months in jail in May 2024 after he helped steal secret defence documents about the Afghanistan war. He then leaked them to the press.
He pleaded guilty to three charges after the court upheld a commonwealth intervention to withhold evidence that the government argued had the potential to jeopardise Australia’s security.
During a plea for leniency at his sentencing hearing in 2024, McBride’s barrister Stephen Odgers SC argued he had disclosed the sensitive documents because of a commitment to the public interest.
Odgers also referenced McBride’s “impaired emotional wellbeing” because of PTSD and substance abuse, as well as his sense of duty, saying he hadn’t realised he was committing a criminal offence.
In a statement provided by the Information Rights Project to ABC News on Thursday, McBride thanked his family and supporters, as well as the attorney-general for granting his parole.
He also revealed he was being treated for lung cancer.
“While I am fit and well in most respects, I...
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