Partner of Glenn Greenwald held under Terrorism Act

08-18-2013 • http://www.telegraph.co.uk, By Claire Carter

David Miranda lives with reporter Glenn Greenwald, who published the stories after interviewing whistleblower Edward Snowden. Mr Miranda also had possessions including his mobile phone, laptop and camera confiscated after being held.

The 28-year-old was stopped at 8.30am on Sunday as he passed through Heathrow Airport on his way home to Rio de Janeiro.

Mr Greenwald has written a number of articles about mass surveillance programmes by the US National Security Agency (NSA) since interviewing Mr Snowden.

The Guardian reported that Mr Miranda was questioned under schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000 which applies only at airports, ports and border areas, allowing officers to stop, search, question and detain individuals.

He was held for the maximum nine hours before being released without charge.

Mr Greenwald said: “This is a profound attack on press freedoms and the news gathering process.

"To detain my partner for a full nine hours while denying him a lawyer, and then seize large amounts of his possessions, is clearly intended to send a message of intimidation to those of us who have been reporting on the NSA and GCHQ.

"The actions of the UK pose a serious threat to journalists everywhere.

"But the last thing it will do is intimidate or deter us in any way from doing our job as journalists.