Scotland Yard is facing strong criticism, with MPs and others raising questions over the detention and nine-hour questioning of Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald’s partner as he was transiting via Heathrow airport on Sunday.
Mr Greenwald was given access to the NSA data leaked by whistleblower Edward Snowden, and he has reported on the leak for the Guardian. He wrote a series of reports on spying operations by US intelligence agencies and Britain’s GCHQ. David Miranda, who lives with Greenwald in Rio de Jane-iro, was stopped at Heath-row at 8.30 am Sunday while returning to Brazil from Berlin via London. He was questioned under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000, that applies only at airports, ports and border areas, allowing officers to stop, search, question and detain individuals.
In Berlin, Mr Miranda visited Laura Poitras, a filmmaker working on the Snowden files with Mr Greenwald and the Guardian. Mr Miranda, 28, was held nine hours, the maximum time allowed before the police must release or formally arrest an individual. He was released without charge, but his cellphone, laptop, camera, memory sticks, DVDs and games consoles were confiscated, the Guardian said. The Brazilian embassy lodged a protest after lawyers it sent to Heathrow were not given access to Mr Miranda.