Antinuclear

Federal Police raid ABC offices in Sydney over 2017 story about Afghanistan, a day after Annika Smethurst search

Australian media is bracing for more “heavy-handed” Federal Police raids, after extraordinary searches of the ABC and a News Corp editor’s home. https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/media/federal-police-raid-abc-offices-in-sydney-over-a-2017-story-about-afghanistan/news-story/3bb1fbe51571d757ca05bb8da0b763d1

Mr Lyons has been live-tweeting the raid, which is being carried out by six AFP officers, including IT specialists.

“In summary, the AFP want anything that at any point may have been involved in this story. This is, in my view, a chilling development for the Australian public. This is not just about the media, this is about the public’s right to know.”

The AFP’s search has resulted in 9214 items of interest being collected, which officers and the broadcaster’s lawyers are now reviewing one-by-one.

Mr Lyons has revealed details of the warrant’s broad scope, which seeks: “Handwritten/digital notes, diary/ies, correspondence — internal, external, emails & other electronic forms of messaging, minutes, reports, briefing documents, assessments, graphics, sketches, photographs or imagery/vision — drafts & final, story pitch planning logs, broadcast and online schedules, raw or unedited footage in its entirety, journalist’s piece to camera, scripts drafts and finals including voiceovers, story boards/plans, status updates, website content, documents classified as ‘secret’ together with any manual, instruction, password or other thing that assists to gain access to or interpret or decode any of the above things.”

Mr Lyons said the warrant also allows the AFP to “add, copy, delete or alter” material on ABC computers.

The three people named in the search warrant are producer Samuel Clark, reporter Daniel Oakes and Gaven Morris, the broadcaster’s news director. Curiously, Mr Clark and Mr Oakes both work out of ABC’s Melbourne office, which hasn’t been raided.

‘WE SHOULD BE CONCERNED’

ABC editorial director Craig McMurtrie addressed the media and confirmed the broadcaster was given some notice that “they were coming”.

“We view this as a very unwelcome development,” Mr McMurtrie said.

“We talk a lot about press freedom. To people who aren’t in the media, it can sound like a bit of a cliche. But we should feel uncomfortable about this. We are here at the national public broadcaster and the Australian Federal Police have executed a search warrant.

“We act lawfully and we act in the interests of good public interest journalism. It is very, very concerning.”

ABC managing director David Anderson described the search as a “serious development” that “raises legitimate concerns over freedom of the press and proper public scrutiny” of national security and defence matters.

“It is highly unusual for the national broadcaster to be raided in this way,” Mr Anderson said.

“The ABC stands by its journalists, will protect its sources and continue to report without fear or favour on national security and intelligence issues when there is a clear public interest.”

The Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance — the union for journalists — condemned the latest “attempt to intimidate legitimate news journalism”.

“A second day of raids by the Australian Federal Police sets a disturbing pattern of assaults on Australian press freedom,” MEAA media section president Marcus Strom said.

“This is nothing short of an attack on the public’s right to know.

“These raids are about intimidating journalists and media organisations because of their truth-telling. They are about more than hunting down whistleblowers that reveal what governments are secretly doing in our name, but also preventing the media from shining a light on the actions of government.

“Yesterday’s raid was in response to a story published a year ago. Today’s raid comes after a story was published nearly two years ago. Suddenly, just days after a federal election, the Federal Police launches this attack on press freedom.

“It seems that when the truth embarrasses the government, the result is the Federal Police will come knocking at your door.”

The International Federation of Journalists has described the ABC raids as “very concerning for press freedom in Australia”.

And the Walkley Foundation said it stood with the media industry in condemning the raids, saying: “We are deeply disturbed by the AFP raids.”

Mr Morris appeared briefly outside the Ultimo headquarters to address the press pack this afternoon.

“Journalism is not a crime,” Mr Morris said.

“I would say to all the journalists at the ABC, and all the journalists across Australia, don’t be afraid of the job you do. Stand up and be proud of it. Continue to act in the public interest knowing the stories you tell and the service you provide the community is a vital one for our democracy.”

TIMING OF RAIDS QUESTIONED

Mr Lyons appeared on 2GB Drive, taking a break from live-tweeting the search, to give his thoughts on the government’s role in the raids.

“I’d be completely surprised Scott Morrison wasn’t informed about this,” Mr Lyons told 2GB. “A raid like this doesn’t happen if the Prime Minister doesn’t want this to happen.”

It’s worrying that the past two days make clear that anything a journalist does can be trawled through by authorities and agencies, he said.

“They’ve brought in with them … digital forensic experts. They’re obviously the best of the best. As a journalist sitting there, it really feels like a violation of what we do.”

In a statement, the AFP insisted “there is no link” between the raid of Ms Smethurst’s home yesterday and the ABC search today.

“Both however relate to separate allegations of publishing classified material, contrary to provisions of the Crimes Act 1914, which is an extremely serious matter that has the potential to undermine Australia’s national security,” it said.

“The AFP received two separate referrals from agency heads in relation to these serious matters. The AFP’s actions have been independent and impartial at all times.”

RELATED: Timing of raids stinks to high heaven

Members of the Canberra press gallery were swift to condemn the latest AFP raid, with Sky News political editor David Speers questioning the timing of the action so soon after the election.

Reporter and academic Peter van Onselen said: “What the hell is going on in this country?”

Kate McClymont, an investigative journalist for The Sydney Morning Herald, said the series of actions was no coincidence.

“Why wait two years to investigate this?” Ms McClymont wrote on Twitter. “Again, the crucial question is the complainant. Police don’t raid without someone lodging a formal complaint. Two media raids in two days is not a coincidence.”

Guardian Australia political reporter Amy Remeikis described the ABC search as “bulls***”.

“Journalists being raided for important stories published years ago all very much in the public interest,” she tweeted.

“If you are not up in arms about this, you should be. This is always about info those in power don’t want you to see & those brave enough to blow the whistle.”

JOURNOS ‘IN FIRING LINE’

The Human Rights Law Centre says it’s concerned about the events of the past two days as well as recent espionage laws that seek to “criminalise journalism”.

Emily Howie, the group’s legal director, said attacks on public interest whistleblowers and the press drive at the heart of democracy.

“These raids highlight just how dangerous it has become to reveal information in the public interest if it also touches on anything supposedly linked to national security,” Ms Howie said.

“It’s outrageous that journalists and their sources could face life imprisonment for revealing information that ultimately protects us all.”

The Morrison Government last year introduced new espionage offences making it a crime to deal with information concerning national security “if the person intends or is reckless to whether that conduct would prejudice Australia’s national security”.

The penalties are 25 years to life, Ms Howie said.

“There are insufficient safeguards to prevent law enforcement agencies from using these powers to expose journalists’ confidential sources,” she said.

“This is shocking for those who are targeted but this surveillance also has a chilling effect on people coming forward. We need urgent law reform to stop punitive investigations and instead encourage truth-telling.”

GOVERNMENT GOES TO GROUND

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg was addressing the media about new economic figures, showing growth has slumped to Global Financial Levels, just moments after news of the ABC raid broke.

Channel 9’s political editor Chris Uhlmann asked why it took two years for the AFP to search the ABC.

“Is this the kind of country we’re going to have under the Morrison Government?” he asked.

Mr Frydenberg replied: “I will be prudent here and not comment on an ongoing investigation.”

Shadow treasurer Jim Chalmers said he understood why the raids “make people uneasy — not just journalists, but everybody who cherishes press freedom” and said it was essential Labor had an understanding of why they took place.

“I’ll leave others to speculate on the timings of these raids,” Mr Chalmers said.

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young called for an urgent inquiry into press freedom in Australia in light of this latest AFP action.

“Another day, another AFP raid on Australian journalists,” Senator Hanson-Young said.

“This is a very worrying sign. Australians deserve and have every right to know what our (government) is up to. The Prime Minister is wrong and out of touch not to be worried.”

Queensland Labor Senator Murray Watt said Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton “has some questions to answer”.

Mr Dutton’s office yesterday referred all queries to the AFP and did not responded to a list of questions from news.com.au from early this morning.

Late on Wednesday, his office issued a statement insisting operations are carried out independent of the government.

“I have had no involvement in the AFP’s investigation into these matters,” Mr Dutton said.

“Following the execution of each search warrant … my office was informed that search warranted had been executed.”

In its statement, the AFP said “the Minister for Home Affairs was not notified prior to the execution of the warrants”.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison, currently in London, brushed off repeated questioning from reporters over yesterday’s search of Smethurst’s home, saying he wasn’t concerned.

He refused to condemn the action, which the journalist’s union has described as a clear “intimidation” tactic.

The Opposition has requested an urgent briefing from Home Affairs about why the raids were warranted.

Shadow spokesperson for Home Affairs and Immigration, Senator Kristina Keneally, said media freedom “is at the core of our democratic society” and described the AFP action as “very significant”.

“Labor takes Australia’s national security seriously,” Senator Keneally said.

“Protecting our national security is complex work but it always must have the right checks and balances.

“Minister Dutton must explain what he knew about these two raids … freedom of the press is an essential component of our democracy.”