As an Afghan-Australian and a lawyer, I am deeply upset by the persecution of David McBride, the brave whistleblower who exposed Australian Defence Force’s war crimes in Afghanistan. Without courageous whistleblowers like David McBride, our democracy is at stake. I’m calling on the Attorney-General to drop all charges against McBride.

As an Australian, I am grateful to David McBride for doing what he did to protect the legacy of the Australian Defence Force. The nation owes him a great debt. If we truly want to commit to reforming the systemic cultural problem in the Australian Defence Force, we must begin to acknowledge and appreciate people like McBride who at grave personal risk, expose the truth. All charges against him must be dropped immediately.

As a member of the Afghan community in Australia, I am thankful to McBride for revealing the gross misconduct by the special forces soldiers. It’s the first step to repairing our relationship with the Australian military. My sincere hope is that from here on, we uphold rule of law and continue the investigations into the ADF. 

It makes no sense that General Angus Campbell can acknowledge all those who spoke to the Inquiry, who helped expose these war crimes, yet at the same David McBride still faces 50 years in prison for sharing the same information. He should only be celebrated for his bravery, not prosecuted.

Please sign and share my petition to free whistleblower David McBride.