Hedda Murray, “...today I serve my country.” (DOCO 2025)

Whistleblower and former military lawyer, David McBride, addresses media and supporters on the steps of the ACT Supreme Court, declaring “today I serve my country”. He was found guilty and sentenced to almost 8 years. This action threw a spotlight on Australia’s flimsy whistleblower protections. There were outcries from other renowned whistleblowers, human rights lawyers, politicians, citizens, and in this sequence, you can also see Julian Assange’s father, John Shipton. McBride had leaked classified military documents to journalists at the ABC who used them as the basis of a 2017 series on Australian war crimes titled The Afghan Files. This saw an unprecedented raid on the ABC, attracting global attention. Documents were seized and journalists threatened with prosecution and gaol as police tracked the whistleblower down. Now held in maximum security and isolation for 23 hours per day. Ironically, his imprisonment is the first and only in Australia related to the alleged war crimes committed in Afghanistan by Australian defence force personnel. (Canon R6-MkII)

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