U.S. reporter Glenn Greenwald who first published secrets provided by U.S. former intelligence worker Edward Snowden promised revenge after Britain detained his partner for nine hours and confiscated his laptop, cellphone and memory sticks.
Greenwald, who has had stories published by the Guardian and lives in Rio de Janeiro, said he could release documents on Britain’s spy system in protesting the government’s attempt to intimidate him by arresting his partner. (Reuters, August 19, 2013, by Pedro Fonseca and Anthony Boadle)
The British detained Greenwald’s partner David Miranda under terrorism laws, but an Obama administration spokesman said the U.S. did not request the detention. (The Washington Post, August 19, 2013, by Philip Rucker and Karla Adam)
Politicians criticized the detention for its length and asked the London police to justify their action. Most interrogations conducted under the terrorist act last less than an hour. Greenwald said, “It’s bad enough to prosecute and imprison sources. It’s worse still to imprison journalists who report the truth. But to start detaining the family members and loved ones of journalists is simply despotic.” (Channel 4 News, August 19, 2013)