Council of Europe general secretary demands answers from Theresa May over destruction of Guardian Snowden material
The secretary general of the Council of Europe has written to Home Secretary Theresa May asking for an explanation for UK authorities’ actions following the detention of David Miranda under terrorism legislation and the destruction of information relating to Edward Snowden.
Detention: Home Secretary Theresa May is facing questions
Miranda was held for nine hours under schedule 7 of the UK Terrorism Act 2000 on Sunday after he arrived at Heathrow airport. He is the partner of Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald, who broke the story about US and UK spying and surveillance tactics after US whistleblower Edward Snowden leaked information to the paper.
Following Miranda’s detention, Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger revealed the paper had been contacted by the country’s most senior civil servant on the orders of Prime Minister David Cameron. Ultimatums were issued demanding the paper either destroy the material or hand it over to the state. Rusbridger chose to destroy hard drives storing information.
The secretary general, Thorbjørn Jagland, said the incident could have a “chilling effect” on press freedom, reports the Press Gazette.
“These measures, if confirmed, may have a potentially chilling effect on journalists' freedom of expression as guaranteed by Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights," he said.
"I would therefore be grateful to you if you could provide information on these reports and comment on the compatibility of the measures taken with the United Kingdom's obligations under the Convention.”
The Home Secretary has defended the decision to detain Miranda – which she says was a police choice, not a request from government – but the government has been widely criticised.
He has now launched legal action after his belongings were seized and his lawyers have argued his detention was unlawful.
Lord Falconer, the Labour politician who was involved in the introduction of the Terrorist Act 2000, said it was clear that Miranda was not a suspected terrorist and the law had been misused.