(Washington, DC) – Yesterday, David Miranda, a Brazilian national and partner of whistleblower journalist Glenn Greenwald, was detained at London’s Heathrow Airport while in transit from Berlin to his home in Rio de Janeiro. He was questioned for nine hours under British anti-terrorism law but was eventually released without charge.

This move by British authorities clearly demonstrates a continuation of the international “No-Fly Zone” policy being imposed upon whistleblowers and those associated with them. A White House spokesperson has conceded that the detention happened with the full knowledge of the White House in advance, though they deny that any request for detention was made.

This incident follows last month’s incident of Bolivian president Evo Morales being denied airspace by France, Spain and Portugal, his subsequent grounding, and a 14-hour detention while Austrian officials “inspected” his aircraft.

The message is clear – the US and select allies are engaged in a coordinated effort to muzzle and intimidate whistleblowers, as well as deny them access to political asylum. “Miranda is not a terrorist by any stretch, but that didn’t stop authorities from using that law against him. Nor did the White House feel the need to intervene when it had the opportunity to do so,” said GAP Executive Director Beatrice Edwards. “We live in a time when people can neither speak nor travel freely.”

The Government Accountability Project (GAP) champions government and corporate accountability and transparency by advancing occupational free speech, defending whistleblowers, and empowering citizen activists. Since its founding in 1977, GAP has fought to make large bureaucratic institutions accountable through the effective exercise of conscience.

Contact: Douglas Kim, External Relations Officer
Phone: 917.907.4394
Email: [email protected]

Government Accountability Project
The Government Accountability Project is the nation’s leading whistleblower protection organization. Through litigating whistleblower cases, publicizing concerns and developing legal reforms, GAP’s mission is to protect the public interest by promoting government and corporate accountability. Founded in 1977, GAP is a non-profit, non-partisan advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C.

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