The partner of former Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald who was held by authorities while travelling though Heathrow airport will launch a legal case against his detention today.
David Miranda has held for nine hours on 18 August as he transited through London on his way from Berlin to the couple’s home in Rio de Janeiro.
UK authorities stopped the 28 year old Brazilian under section 7 of the Terrorism act 2000 and seized a laptop, mobile phone, memory cards and dvds.
The High Court has already ruled that the nine items could only be examined for national security purposes and protecting the public.
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#Miranda High Court hearing *today* Miranda's case: https://t.co/bsMHEWZZEo Met police defence: https://t.co/bsMHEWZZEo via @carlgardner
— David (@JackofKent) November 6, 2013
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Miranda’s legal team will argue that his detention for the maximum period possible determined by the act was a breach of his human rights.
Schedule 7 of the act allows authorities to detain someone for a maximum of nine hours if they suspect that the individual has been engaged with terrorism.
His detention followed the publication by the Guardian of details concerning the extent of mass surveillance engaged by GCHQ from files leaked by former NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden.
Snowden passed thousand of highly classified files to Greenwald who worked alongside the Guardian to unearth the scandal.
However, British security chiefs were angered by the leaks and ordered Miranda’s arrest as he passed through Heathrow Airport.
Miranda’s legal team will argue that his detention and use of the anti-terror powers was unlawful and disproportionate.
An earlier hearing at the High Court heard that Miranda was carrying 58,000 highly classified UK intelligence documents when he was detained.
He was released without charge.
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