David McBride // Amnesty Watch

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David McBride, lawyer and whistleblower. He served in the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and completed two tours in Afghanistan. He is best known for leaking classified documents to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that exposed alleged war crimes committed by Australian special forces in Afghanistan.

The documents, known as the “Afghan Files,” were the basis for a series of investigative reports published by ABC in 2017. The reports alleged that Australian special forces had killed unarmed civilians and prisoners in Afghanistan, and that these incidents were covered up by the ADF.

McBride was charged with multiple offences, including theft of commonwealth property, unauthorized disclosure of information, and breach of the Defence Act. He admitted to leaking the documents but argued that he did so in the public interest, as he believed that the ADF and the Australian government were engaged in a cover-up.

His case has raised important questions about the balance between national security and the public’s right to know, and has sparked debate about the need for stronger whistleblower protections in Australia.

As of September 2021, David McBride’s trial was ongoing, and he faced the possibility of a lengthy prison sentence if convicted. Please note that I am unable to provide any updates on his case or any other events that have occurred since that time

Timeline of Events in the David McBride Saga

As of my last knowledge update in September 2021, here is a timeline of key events involving Australian whistleblower David McBride:

2014: David McBride leaked classified documents to ABC journalists.

2017: ABC published a series of reports based on the leaked documents, known as the “Afghan Files”.

2018: McBride was arrested and charged with multiple offences, including theft of commonwealth property and unauthorized disclosure of information.

2019: McBride was committed to stand trial in the Australian Capital Territory Supreme Court.

2020: McBride’s legal team argued that the charges against him should be dropped on public interest grounds, but this argument was rejected by the court and is now facing 50 years to life in prison