Extent of illegal surveillance by PSNI, MI5 shocked me

A veteran journalist has revealed the "shocking" extent of illegal surveillance conducted by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and the British security service MI5, which systematically targeted his communications over an 11-year period. The surveillance, exposed during a case brought before the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT) in London, was an attempt to identify and destroy the journalist's sources, who included members of republican and loyalist paramilitary organizations, police officers, and politicians.

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Protecting sources is the bedrock of journalism. Those prepared to provide information, particularly of a sensitive nature, need to trust the person they are sharing it with. They need to know that a promise to protect their identity is cast iron.

Throughout his career, the journalist, who began at the Belfast Telegraph in 1988, prided himself on building trust with sources who often spoke to him without their organizations' knowledge and feared exposure. These sources provided information on sensitive matters such as IRA moves towards ceasefires, loyalist paramilitary activities, and allegations of collusion involving police and military personnel. The journalist stated that agencies tasked with upholding the law used unlawful means to hinder his lawful duties, calling it an "attack on journalism itself."

The full scope of the illegal activity was detailed in a BBC Northern Ireland documentary, 'Watched By MI5,' made in conjunction with RTÉ. While the journalist acknowledged a high likelihood of interest from authorities, he was taken aback by the systematic nature of the illegal monitoring. The PSNI conducted seven separate operations against him, with one operation accessing communications data from over 1,580 calls and texts, revealing contact numbers and phone locations. The IPT case forced MI5 to admit to secretly accessing his communications data multiple times in 2006 and 2009, even labeling him a threat to national security to justify their intrusions.

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But I was shocked by the extent of the illegal activity by the PSNI and MI5 to identify my sources. I was targeted systematically over a period of 11 years.

Crucially, the journalist does not know what specific data was gleaned or if any calls were transcribed, as the legal teams submitted vast amounts of information to the tribunal judges in secret sessions. This lack of transparency fuels his suspicion, a sentiment shared by former BBC Northern Ireland staff.

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As I said in a witness statement to the IPT, agencies charged with upholding the law used unlawful means to undermine and hinder my ability to perform my lawful duties as a journalist. It was an attack on journalism itself.