A former intelligence officer alleges preventable failures linked to the Bondi attack. His treatment highlights how weak protections silence whistleblowers in national security institutions.
It was early morning in Melbourne. I had just come back from walking the dog and had not yet made coffee when a message arrived on Signal. It was from a human rights lawyer I knew. They asked if I had time to discuss a highly sensitive matter that would soon become public.
Six months earlier I had founded The Information Rights Project, a charity established to support and protect whistleblowers. Calls like this were precisely what we had prepared for.
I was not prepared for the substance.
Marcus*, a former ASIO officer, had spent six years undercover inside an ISIS-linked network in Sydney. His intelligence contributed to arrests, disrupted planned attacks and informed international partners. It was dangerous, high-stakes work conducted in the shadows.
He has now come forward alleging serious intelligence failures that, in his view, could have prevented the Bondi terrorist attack. By speaking publicly, he placed himself in direct conflict with the institution he once served.
The personal consequences have been immediate.
Marcus is in hiding. He is separated from his family. He has no income. There are credible threats to his life from the extremist network he once infiltrated. His legal team is working pro bono. His remaining funds are almost exhausted.
The lawyer asked whether we...
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