Amnesty International Gets This One Exactly Right!

[kpete]

“It is utterly improbable that David Michael Miranda, a Brazilian national transiting through London, was detained at random, given the role his partner has played in revealing the truth about the unlawful nature of NSA surveillance.

“David’s detention was unlawful and inexcusable. He was detained under a law that violates any principle of fairness and his detention shows how the law can be abused for petty vindictive reasons.

“There is simply no basis for believing that David Michael Miranda presents any threat whatsoever to the UK government. The only possible intent behind this detention was to harass him and his partner, Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald, for his role in analysing the data released by Edward Snowden.

“States cannot pass anti-terror acts and claim they are necessary to protect people from harm and then use them to retaliate against someone exercising his rights. By targeting Miranda and Greenwald, the UK authorities are also sending a message to other journalists that if they maintain their independence and report critically about governments, they too may be targeted.”

http://www.amnesty.org.uk/news_details.asp?NewsID=20922

[snappyturtle]

1. Governments have declared open season on the messengers.

People bitch that reporters don't report what governments
are doing behind the curtains. When they do, others bitch
some more. We can't have both ways. imho

This latest assault is intimidation, sent loudly and clearly.

[dawg]

2. Thuggish behavior.

Just like the downing of Morales' plane.

They're painting a picture for us. If we don't see it, it's only because we don't want to.

[malaise]

5. Fascist behavior n/t

[msanthrope]

3. Of course he wasn't detained at random. He was detained because he was working with Greenwald and

Poitras, ferrying material, on a trip paid for by the Guardian.

If neither Greenwald, Miranda, or Poitras saw this coming, then they need to read more LeCarre novels before they play spymaker.

[Solly Mack]

4. K&R

[HardTimes99]

6. The last sentence of the last paragraph of your excerpt is the keeper. Greenwald and

Miranda are merely incidental to the real impetus behind the detention: sending a message to other putative whistle-blowers about what might befall them should they decide to follow their conscience rather than the dictates of the national security state.

[HardTimes99]

7. I'm kicking this again, because those DUers who are defending the UK's actions

with regard to Miranda must be made aware that Amnesty International disagrees emphatically with them. So are they going to throw Amnesty International under the bus now too?