06 Feb 2007

The human rights group Liberty today sent a letter to the Home Secretary questioning the Home Office’s role in “off the record” briefings during last week’s anti-terror operations in the West Midlands.

Liberty shares the grave concerns expressed by local police and community leaders that secret central Government media briefings damage public trust in delicate police operations, threaten community relations and undermine the criminal trial process.
 
Liberty Director Shami Chakrabarti said:
 
“We are gravely concerned by reports that the Home Office may have secretly and speculatively briefed journalists as security operations were underway. Any such practices risk undermining the work of police and prosecutors and jeopardise both the trust and safety of the public.
 
If the same people have offered secret anti-terror briefings whilst proposing the extension of pre-charge detention, this would be party politics at its most dangerous.”
 
On 6 February 2007, Liberty sent a Freedom of Information Request to the Home Office requesting details of all communications between Home Office political advisers and media outlets relating to the operation during a vital three day period from 30th January and 1st February 2007.
 
Contact: Jen Corlew on 0207 378 3656 or 0797 3 831 128
 
Notes to Editors
 
1. A copy of Liberty’s Freedom of Information request and the Director of Liberty’s covering letter to the Home Secretary are available at the links on the right.