“A former defence lawyer charged for blowing the whistle on alleged misconduct by Australian special forces in Afghanistan says he is not afraid of going to jail and was merely doing his duty to expose illegal government behaviour.”
“David McBride, 55, is facing five charges in the ACT magistrates court for leaking classified material to three senior journalists at the ABC and the then Fairfax Media newspapers.”
“The documents formed the basis of “The Afghan Files”, an ABC expose in 2017 revealing shocking allegations of misconduct by Australian special forces in Afghanistan, including possible unlawful killings.”
McBride “said he tried to report the matter internally and to police, failing at both hurdles.”
““I’m seeking to have the case look purely at whether the government broke the law and whether it was my duty as a lawyer to report that fact,” he said. “I’m taking away, off the table, any dispute about whether the documents were given.””
Read more: Whistleblower charged with exposing alleged military misconduct ‘not afraid to go to jail’
Related: Afghan Files whistleblower David McBride’s trial delayed to protect state secrets
2021-week13
