The World Association of Newspapers and Publishers (WAN-IFRA) in a letter to the UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, stated that they are extremely concerned about the government's actions. The specific actions were an act of intimidation and could have a chilling effect on press freedom in the UK and beyond, as they stated.
The Union represents 18,000 publishing companies from 3,000 businesses, condemned the government for destroying The Guardian's hard drives.
They continue to describe as "outrageous and deeply disturbing" the detention of David Miranda, a colleague of Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald, at Heathrow Airport for violating section 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000.
The letter is signed by WAN-IFRA President Tomas Brunegård and World Editors Forum President Erik Bjerager.
“We respectfully urge you to reaffirm the UK’s commitment to a free and independent press and to redefine how government and police operate in this regard. We call on the UK government to respect the right of journalists to protect their sources and to create the necessary conditions to ensure that the press can continue to play a crucial role in maintaining free and fair societies, free from government interference or intimidation.”
