WHISTLEBLOWER DAVID MCBRIDE'S LONG ORDEAL:

* The lawyer spent 18 months between 2014 and 2015 collecting secret documents from defence offices, where he was a government lawyer

* McBride took 235 documents, 207 of which were classified as secret, and shared them with ABC journalists in 2016

* A series of related ABC reports, which became known as the Afghan Files, uncovered allegations Australian soldiers committed war crimes in Afghanistan 

* In 2018, McBride was charged with several offences relating to unlawfully disclosing Commonwealth documents

* He spent several years in and out of the ACT court system attempting to clear his name 

* McBride pleaded guilty to three charges related to obtaining and disseminating classified defence information in November 2023, after an extensive campaign to prove his actions were in the public interest 

* He was sentenced to five years and eight month behind bars, with a non-parole period of two years and three months, in May 2024 

* McBride was told he could appeal his conviction in October 2024 - he did so in the ACT Supreme Court in early 2025, but his claims were rejected 

* In October 2025, McBride sought leave from the High Court to appeal his imprisonment, but the court refused to hear his appeal

* He remained ineligible for parole until August 2026 

* McBride was granted parole by Attorney-General Michelle Rowland on Thursday - the first day he was eligible to be released

* Upon release, he revealed he had treatable lung cancer and would undergo an operation