Australian authorities searched the home of a journalist who wrote an article last year revealing government correspondence about a plan to permit Australian intelligence services to spy on citizens.
The journalist, Annika Smethurst, is the political editor for the Sunday Telegraph of Sydney. Along with having her house searched, Australian Federal Police also had warrants to search her computer and cellphone Tuesday.
Authorities said in a statement that the search was related “to the alleged publishing of information classified as an official secret, which is an extremely serious matter that has the potential to undermine Australia’s national security.”
News Corp. Australia, which owns the paper, blasted the raid as “outrageous and heavy handed.”
“What’s gone on this morning sends clear and dangerous signals to journalists and newsrooms across Australia. This will chill public interest reporting,” the company said Tuesday.
The Federal Parliamentary Press Gallery, which represents more than 250 journalists and media personnel covering the Parliament, also issued a statement condemning the move.
“Democracy suffers when journalists are raided for reporting on governments,” it reads. “No Australian should want to live in a society where agencies can seek an increase in their powers, insist on secrecy and claim a breach of national security when the press reports on their plans.”
Statement from the committee of the Federal Parliamentary Press Gallery on the police raid on @annikasmethurst today: pic.twitter.com/Oo6vHTfDzx
— David Crowe (@CroweDM) June 4, 2019
Smethurst reported in 2018 on a top-secret proposal that would have expanded the power of Australia’s equivalent to the National Security Agency. She wrote that the plan would have allowed the Australian Signals Directorate to access emails, text messages, and bank records if Australia’s Home and Defense ministries gave approval. The article included photos from a top-secret document.
Since her article was published last year, there haven’t been any government proposals for legislative changes on the matter.
