March 8 2000

Arrest of Julie Ann Davis

MI5 whistleblower David Shayler was angry and upset when he learned yesterday of the arrest of Julie Ann Davis.  Ms Davis, a student at Kingston University, was arrested on 6 March by Metropolitan Police Special Branch officers on suspicion of breaching Section 5 of the Official Secrets Act.  She was questioned for seven hours and was released without charge, but is required to answer police bail in June later this year.  David Shayler today made the following comments from exile in France:

"I was shocked to learn of the arrest of Julie Ann on Monday.  Over the last few months she has offered her support for the campaign group, Public Friend No1.  This is a democratic campaign designed to work not only for my return to the UK without prosecution but also for greater openness and accountability for MI5 and MI6.  It is ironic that she has been arrested for alleged breaches of the draconian Official Secrets Act after joining a campaign which was set up to reform that very act.

"I think it is scandalous that the government is once again resorting to bully-boy tactics to stifle debate about the role of the intelligence services in a modern democracy.  The police have insufficient evidence to charge Julie Ann, but still require her to answer police bail over the next few months.  It seems to be a deliberate attempt to deter people from joining the PF1 Campaign.  I find it astonishing that Special Branch officers obviously appear to feel they can intimidate innocent campaigners but continue to shirk their duty to investigate the involvement of MI6 officers in an unsanctioned plot to murder Colonel Gadaffi of Libya. 

"Of course, this is not the first time that MI5 and its friends in the government have ordered in Special Branch to arrest my friends and supporters.  In September 1997 my girlfriend, my brother and two close friends were also arrested on the flimsiest of pretexts.  As in Julie Ann's case, they were not charged but were required to answer police bail for 6 months before the investigations were dropped. 

"When will the government realise that the best way to resolve my case would be to get around a table and negotiate with me rather than persecuting individuals who are merely campaigning to reform Britain's antiquated secrecy laws?"