The UK government keeps harassing the members of the press who publish leaks provided by Edward Snowden – but instead of taking them on directly, the authorities are going for their family. For example, recently Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald’s partner, a Brazilian citizen, was detained at Heathrow airport. It is known that Greenwald is sitting on more of Snowden’s leaks which he is now editing.

David Miranda, his partner, was questioned under the Terrorism Act and kept in detention for 9 hours (this was the maximum the local authorities could get away with without charging). The journalist claimed that it was a failed attempt at intimidation. David Miranda passed through the Heathrow airport on his way home to Rio de Janeiro when he was stopped by officers and informed that he was to be questioned under schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act.

According to statistics, most examinations under schedule 7 last less than one hour, while only one in 2,000 people detained is kept for longer than 6 hours. The authorities seized Miranda’s electronics, including his mobile phone, laptop, camera, memory sticks, and games consoles.

Glenn Greenwald is understandably furious at “a profound attack on press freedoms” along with the news gathering process. Apparently, detaining his partner for 9 hours while denying him a lawyer and then seizing his possessions was supposed to send a message of intimidation to people who have been reporting on the NSA. Greenwald also said that the actions of the United Kingdom represented a serious threat to journalists everywhere.

Unfortunately, intimidating journalists is usually counter-productive as it makes journalists want to report aggressively. At the moment, The Guardian is demanding clarification from the UK authorities as to what they thought they were playing at. While Scotland Yard has confirmed the questioning took place, it refused to say why.

Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act has been slammed for giving the authorities broad powers, but it hasn’t been used in this way earlier. In the meantime, the incident has also angered the Brazilian authorities, which said they had “grave concerns” over the detention of its citizen and the use of anti-terror law. The Brazilian government has issued a statement to claim that the measure was without justification because it involved an individual against whom there were no charges to justify its use.