Post date: Aug 20, 2013 8:7:41 PM
Brazilian partner of the journalist with close links to Edward Snowden says he suffered a kind of "psychological violence" while being detained for nine hours by British authorities in London's Heathrow airport.
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL (AUGUST 19, 2013) (TV GLOBO) - The Brazilian partner of the journalist with close links to Edward Snowdensaid Monday (August 19) that he suffered "psychological violence" during his nine-hour detention by British authorities who used anti-terrorism powers to hold and question him as he passed through London's Heathrow airport.
Miranda has launched legal action against the British police and government to question the basis of the detention.Snowden is the former U.S. spy agency contractor who has been granted asylum by Russia and faces charges in the United States.
The detained Brazilian, David Miranda, is the partner of Guardian journalist, Glenn Greenwald.
Miranda finally returned home to Rio de Janeiro on Monday where he was greeted by Greenwald at the airport.
"A Brazilian that travels to a country like this and is detained for nine hours in this way, it I think breaks a person, you understand? You break down completely and get very scared. They didn't use any physical violence against me, but you can see that is was a fantastic use of psychological violence," said Miranda.
Rio de Janeiro-based Greenwald has interviewed Snowden and used 15,000 to 20,000 documents that Snowden passed to him to reveal details of the U.S. National Security Agency's surveillance methods.
British authorities questioned Miranda's involvement.
"They asked me what is my role in this story with the NSA, the documents. I explained that I had no direct involvement with these documents and that I didn't work with them," said Miranda.
Miranda was questioned extensively by British authorities before being released without charge.
The 28-year-old Miranda was returning to Brazil from Berlin and was in transit at Heathrow, Greenwald said in a column posted on the Guardian website. He said British authorities seized his partner's laptop, cellphone and USB sticks.
A British Metropolitan Police Service spokesman said Miranda had been detained at Heathrow airport under provisions of the 2000 Terrorism Act. That law gives British border officials the right to question someone "to determine if that individual is a person concerned in the commission, preparation or execution of acts of terrorism."
Miranda was kept the maximum time allowed by the Terrorism Act.
Greenwald said he was ready to publish more documents.
"I never said that I was going to punish somebody or I was going to publish out of vengeance. I am going to publish only to show to the world information that they should be aware of," said Greenwald.
Brazil's government complained about the detention of Miranda at Heathrow for nine hours incommunicado under the British anti-terrorism law.
Miranda was pleased with his country's response.
"I was really happy to see that I really have a government that supports me and all other Brazilians," said Miranda.