MAPW is amongst the inaugural supporters of the Whistleblower Justice Fund.
In a letter published today across major metro media, MAPW and others call on the Attorney-General, Mark Dreyfus, to drop the prosecutions of David McBride and Richard Boyle.
David McBride, a former military lawyer, is alleged to have given the media evidence of misconduct by Australian special forces in Afghanistan, including possible unlawful killings. This misconduct was later proven by the Brereton Report. McBride is charged with five offences, including the unauthorised disclosure of information, theft of Commonwealth property and three counts of breaching the Defence Act.
McBride should be protected by the whistleblower act, and his actions to reveal wrongdoing applauded. Instead, he has been persecuted: McBride was forced to withdraw his whistleblowing defence after a national security intervention by the government last year.
More information:
Whistleblowers on Trial, Human Rights Law Centre
Drop the Whistleblower Prosecutions (Facebook Group)
