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BBC

Newsnight journalists laptop seized by anti-terror police

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By John Glenday, Reporter

October 29, 2015 | 1 min read

Anti-terror police have swooped on the BBC’s Broadcasting House head office to seize the laptop of a Newsnight journalist investigating western-born fighters who have travelled to Syria to join Islamic State.

Newsnight

According to The Times officers secured an order from a judge to obtain communications between Secunder Kermani and a man claiming to be a member of the terror group who had featured in prior reporting.

Newsnight editor Ian Katz 1said: “While we would not seek to obstruct any police investigation we are concerned that the use of the Terrorism Act to obtain communication between journalists and sources will make it very difficult for reporters to cover this issue of critical public interest.”

A spokesman for the BBC added that the man in question was not a confidential source.

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