Australia warned over press freedom by Amal Clooney

Human rights lawyer Amal Clooney has warned that Australian police raids on journalists could be used by oppressive leaders to crack down.

Amal Clooney says the AFP raids on journalists in Australia could be used as an excuse by other leaders to clamp down on journalists. Source: AAP

Human rights lawyer Amal Clooney has criticised police raids on Australian journalists at a press freedom conference attended by Foreign Minister Marise Payne.

Asked about recent raids conducted by the Australian Federal Police on the ABC and the home of a News Corp Canberra journalist, Ms Clooney said reports on press freedom show the decline is not limited to non-democracies.

“What happens in a country like Australia or the UK or the US will be looked at by every other leader in the world and potentially be used as an excuse to clamp down even further on journalists," she said.