Officers from the Australian Federal Police have raided the ABC head office in Ultimo over a story about special forces operations in Afghanistan.
The raid comes a day after AFP officers spent seven hours searching the home of The Sunday Telegraph’s political editor Annika Smethurst.
Officers in dark suits and with large satchels were seen in the reception area of the Ultimo building in Harris St at 11.30am today, reportedly with a search warrant naming three journalists.
ABC Four Corners reporter Sophie McNeill mocked Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s “how good is” catchphrase to condemn the raids.
”How good is #Australia?” she wrote on Twitter after the raid on the Ultimo offices kicked off.
“This is the 2nd Federal police raid on journalists in 24 hours.”
The raid targeted journalists Dan Oakes and Sam Clark from the ABC’s National Reporting team as well as news director Gaven Morris for their stories based on leaked documents many of which were marked AUSTEO — Australian Eyes Only.
The documents highlighted the unease within Defence top brass about a growing bloody culture within Australia’s Special Forces in Afghanistan.
Many of the documents looked at 10 incidents between 2009 and 2013 where Special Forces shot dead insurgents, unarmed men and children. Afghan authorities reportedly threatened to stop working with Australian Special Forces after they killed a man on a motorcycle and possibly injured a female passenger.
They also gave more information on the severing of the hands of dead Taliban fighters by Australian troops.
Veteran journalist and ABC Executive Editor John Lyons has been live tweeting details of the raids from within the building.
Mr Lyons said several AFP officers joined him, five ABC reps, outside counsel Mark Polden and two other ABC lawyers in a meeting on the building’s twelfth floor to discuss the raid.
He said the AFP officers were told: “We waive no rights, and reserve right to take injunction against the warrant.
“Three more AFP officers join us in a meeting room on 12th floor. They identify themselves as “digital forensics” experts,” Mr Lyons wrote on Twitter.
“Head of the AFP team tells us: ‘We will be taking material with us. It will be sealed’.
“We’ve gone to level 12 where ABC lawyers (and me) meeting the three AFP officers to discuss the warrant which they are executing. Three journalists named on warrant.”
The national broadcaster said the raid “raises concerns over freedom of the press”.
“It is highly unusual for the national broadcaster to be raided in this way,” the ABC said in a statement on Wednesday afternoon.
“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 Australian Federal Police in a statement said the raid was “in relation to allegations of publishing classified material contrary to provisions of the Crimes Act”.
It said the search warrant related to a referral received on July 11, 2017, from the Defence Force chief and the then-acting secretary for Defence.
The federal police said the warrant was duly authorised and no arrests were planned.