UK Court: David Miranda Detention Legal Under Terrorism Law

[muriel_volestrangler]

17. The documents are evidence of wrong-doing by my government, and yours

That is the 'liberty interest'. They are of interest to the citizens of several countries (Brazil, Germany, the USA, Indonesia, Australia, the UK ...), and, after the seizure of Miranda's property, Greenwald has continued to publish exposes of wrong-doing, in conjunction with newspapers in several countries (including the Guardian). By claiming this was 'about his book', when you know very well he has published a lot more journalism (including, for instance, the website linked to in the OP), you are making yourself look dishonest.

The Guardian has not 'dropped this'; it continues to support Miranda and Greenwald, publishing this, for instance:

David Miranda's detention: a chilling attack on journalism

When the partner of journalist Glenn Greenwald was detained at Heathrow airport last August under the Terrorism Act, MI5 were pulling the strings and knew full well that he wasn't a terrorist

Luke Harding
The Guardian, Sunday 2 February 2014 19.01 GMT

...
The use of schedule 7 against someone who was known not to be a terrorist was a blatant abuse – and an alarming precedent in which a government matched journalism with terrorism.

This was the first time the much-criticised section of the act had been used against a journalist carrying source material. Coming on top of the forced destruction of the Guardian's computers on 20 July, it looked like a chilling attack on press freedom.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/02/david-miranda-detention-chilling-attack-journalism

Or this, after the verdict today:

The David Miranda judgment has chilling implications for press freedom, race relations and basic justice

The interference of Britains' security services is shocking, but it's also vital that we shed light on the murky reality of schedule 7

...
It is also important to recognise that our judiciary is currently on the back foot. It is not only the European court of human rights that is being attacked by the tabloids and tea party tendency; many of our own judges have been at the receiving end of vitriol for being too committed to human rights. We are now seeing our judiciary in defensive mode. This judgment is another setback but it will form part of a continuing conversation between our courts and the European court of human rights on this issue and many others. As this goes on, let's keep the core message clear: schedule 7 may be lawful but it is really rotten law.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/feb/19/david-miranda-press-freedom-race-justice

A Guardian News & Media spokesperson said:

We’re disappointed by today’s judgment, which means that an Act designed to defeat terrorism can now be used to catch those who are working on fundamentally important issues.

The judgment takes a narrow view of what ‘journalism’ is in the 21st century and a very wide view of the definition of ‘terrorism’. We find that disturbing.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/19/high-court-ruling-on-david-miranda-heathrow-detention-live-coverage#block-5304978de4b0911693db6cb8

Just take a look at the people you are lining up with - the Conservative Home Secretary, a Conservative MP, the Metropolitan Police, and the British security services. Against you, there's Liberty, Article 19, English PEN, Media Legal Defence Initiative , Privacy International, a Liberal Democrat MP with an excellent record, a Conservative MP with a good record on civil liberties, the National Union of Journalists, Reporters Without Borders, and Index on Censorship. You couldn't make it clearer: you stand with state oppression. You should hang your head in shame.