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AFP raids ABC headquarters

ABC: "This is a serious development and raises legitimate concerns over freedom of the press."

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A raid by the Australian Federal Police is currently underway at the ABC offices in Sydney, over a series of 2017 stories known as The Afghan Files.

The stories, by ABC investigative journalists Dan Oakes and Sam Clark, revealed allegations of unlawful killings and misconduct by Australian special forces in Afghanistan.

The search warrant names Oakes, Clark and ABC’s Director of News Gaven Morris.

The raid comes one day after the AFP executed search warrants on the home of a News Corp journalist who had reported on secret plans to allow government spying.

ABC Managing Director David Anderson said, “It is highly unusual for the national broadcaster to be raided in this way. This is a serious development and raises legitimate concerns over freedom of the press and proper public scrutiny of national security and defence matters.

“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.”

Free TV Australia has also issued a statement expressing serious concerns.

 

This post updates.

Source: ABC

13 Responses

  1. It’s hardly Tiananmen Square, y’know when socialists do what they do best…..shoot and kill their own citizens for disagreeing with their policies. If the AFP come up with nothing and no charges are laid they will be held to account. The same if they over step their remit. Sure be concerned but lets not over react, just yet…..

  2. Why the surprise? Vote a pack of fascists back into power, and this is how they behave. Australia, you got what you voted for – and there will be more of this to come.

  3. I don’t think we have anything to be afraid of, the AFP have worked hard since 9/11 to keep US all safe from Terrorists and they have the majority kept us all safe with loads of arrests and terror plots thwarted. All we are seeing is the AFP doing raids, They have a reason to do so and it is possibly linked to a real threat that we are not aware of or they have arrested someone and are requiring as much evidence as possible.

    Yes the AFP could have made a request for the information but that allows for emails and information to be deleted or removed. When it comes to our safety, the Media has no rights other than to do what they are told to do.

  4. Surely they could just send an official request to the ABC asking for copies of what they need. If the reports were publicised in 2017 then why raid the offices now? This whole thing seems like a waste of time and resources. Not to mention the obvious wrongness of doing it all this way.

  5. I like that the ABC has reposted the stories which led to the raid but 2 raids on journalists and requesting the name of a source from Ben Fordham is disturbing

  6. it would be interesting to know what the Labor government would have done if they had won power, the AFP do have a job to do so it will be interesting how this story will pan out. Australia does have a penchant for preservation of secrecy in the interests of national security, even the USA is more open about their freedom of information, the irony is that researchers can access Australia’s secrets in the USA too.

    2. So early, it’s been investigated since 2017, but since the election campaign is over and it’s gone nowhere the Government is acting. Someone leaked the files to the ABC and Government wants to go after who did it to deter other leakers.

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