Army whistleblower who exposed alleged Australian war crimes in Afghanistan is sentenced to prison

By ROD McGUIRK
Associated Press

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — A former Australian army lawyer has been sentenced to almost six years in prison for leaking classified information that exposed allegations of Australian war crimes in Afghanistan. David McBride was sentenced Tuesday after pleading guilty to three charges including theft and sharing secret documents with the media. McBride’s documents formed the basis of an Australian Broadcasting Corp. series in 2017 that contained war crime allegations including Australian Special Air Service Regiment soldiers killing unarmed Afghan men and children in 2013. Rights advocates argued that McBride’s conviction and sentencing before any alleged war criminal he helped expose reflected Australia’s lack of whistleblower protections.