{
  "id": 82,
  "slug": "2019-australia-afp-raids-abc-afghan-files",
  "title": "Australian Federal Police raid the national broadcaster over reporting on alleged war crimes in Afghanistan",
  "occurred_on": "2019-06-05",
  "occurred_on_precision": "day",
  "ended_on": null,
  "jurisdiction": "AU",
  "country": "AU",
  "continent": "oceania",
  "level": "national",
  "type": null,
  "tactic_primary": "surveillance_and_subpoenas",
  "leader_slug": "scott-morrison",
  "issue_of_the_day": "ABC's 2017 \"Afghan Files\" reporting on allegations that Australian special forces soldiers killed people in breach of the laws of armed conflict.",
  "outcome": "reversed",
  "outcome_on": "2020-10-15",
  "outcome_note": "The Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions decided in October 2020 not to charge journalist Dan Oakes over the Afghan Files reporting.",
  "granularity": "anchor",
  "era": "2010s",
  "summary": "Australian Federal Police spent hours searching the headquarters of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) over its 2017 \"Afghan Files\" reports on alleged killings by Australian special forces that breached the laws of armed conflict, seizing files under a warrant citing the Crimes Act's ban on publishing classified material.{c:313}{c:314}{c:315}{c:316}",
  "what_happened": "In 2017, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), the national public broadcaster, published the \"Afghan Files,\" reports based on leaked defense documents describing allegations that Australian special forces killed people in breach of the laws of armed conflict. On June 5, 2019, Australian Federal Police (AFP) officers spent about eight hours searching ABC's Sydney headquarters, examining thousands of files and journalist Dan Oakes' emails, under a warrant citing the Crimes Act 1914's ban on \"publishing classified material.\" Officers left with two USB drives of sealed files pending legal review. ABC managing director David Anderson said, \"The ABC stands by its journalists, will protect its sources and continue to report without fear or favour on national security and intelligence issues when there is a clear public interest,\" and news director Gaven Morris said, \"journalism is not a crime.\" The AFP said its actions were \"independent and impartial at all times.\" The raid followed a separate police search, one day earlier, of a News Corp journalist's home over unrelated leaked material.{c:313}{c:314}{c:315}{c:316}",
  "stated_justification": "The AFP said the raid concerned \"allegations of publishing classified material, contrary to provisions of the Crimes Act 1914,\" and separately said its investigative actions had been \"independent and impartial at all times.\"{c:313}",
  "effect_on_reporting": "Police searched the newsroom for eight hours and reviewed a journalist's personal emails and thousands of files before leaving with sealed material; ABC's news director said, \"journalism is not a crime,\" and its editorial director called the reporting \"outstanding\" and in the public interest.{c:315}{c:316}",
  "unknowns": null,
  "status": "historical",
  "status_updated_on": "2026-09-22",
  "external_ids": {},
  "illustration_key": null,
  "pub_state": "published",
  "published_at": "2026-09-22T23:10:11Z",
  "reviewed_on": "2026-09-22",
  "next_review_on": "2026-12-22",
  "revision": 5,
  "created_at": "2026-09-22T23:10:06Z",
  "updated_at": "2026-09-23T00:10:34Z",
  "stage": "punish",
  "ladder_note": null,
  "country_name": "Australia",
  "tactics": [
    "surveillance_and_subpoenas",
    "secrets_and_espionage_laws"
  ],
  "leader": {
    "slug": "scott-morrison",
    "name": "Scott Morrison",
    "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/scott-morrison"
  },
  "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2019-australia-afp-raids-abc-afghan-files",
  "page_meta": {
    "published": "2026-09-22T23:10:11Z",
    "reviewed": "2026-09-22",
    "sources": 2,
    "status": "historical",
    "statusAsOf": "2026-09-22",
    "unknowns": null
  },
  "actors": [
    {
      "slug": "dan-oakes",
      "name": "Dan Oakes",
      "kind": "person",
      "role": "other",
      "role_at_time": null,
      "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/actors/dan-oakes"
    },
    {
      "slug": "scott-morrison",
      "name": "Scott Morrison",
      "kind": "person",
      "role": "other",
      "role_at_time": null,
      "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/actors/scott-morrison"
    }
  ],
  "outlets": [
    {
      "slug": "abc-australia",
      "name": "Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)",
      "relation": "affected",
      "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/outlets/abc-australia"
    }
  ],
  "journalists": [],
  "cases": [],
  "related": [],
  "events": [],
  "claims": [
    {
      "id": 313,
      "subject_type": "incident",
      "subject_id": 82,
      "field": "stated_justification",
      "value": "Warrant cites classified-material provisions",
      "statement": "The AFP said the warrant concerned allegations of publishing classified material under the Crimes Act.",
      "attribution": null,
      "source_id": 249,
      "evidence_quote": "in relation to allegations of publishing classified material, contrary to provisions of the Crimes Act 1914",
      "evidence_date": "2019-06-05",
      "method": "outlet_report",
      "verified_at": "2026-09-22",
      "confidence": "medium",
      "status": "current",
      "supersedes_id": null,
      "superseded_by": null,
      "supersede_reason": null,
      "batch_label": "v2-research-2026-09-22",
      "created_at": "2026-09-22T23:10:07Z",
      "source": {
        "id": 249,
        "url": "https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-06-05/abc-raided-by-australian-federal-police-afghan-files-stories/11181162",
        "final_url": "https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-06-05/abc-raided-by-australian-federal-police-afghan-files-stories/11181162",
        "title": "ABC raided by Australian Federal Police over Afghan Files stories",
        "publisher": "ABC News (Australia)",
        "published_on": "2019-06-05",
        "link_state": "bot_blocked",
        "link_state_since": "2026-09-22T23:23:23Z",
        "wayback_url": null,
        "wayback_saved_at": null
      },
      "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/claims/313"
    },
    {
      "id": 314,
      "subject_type": "incident",
      "subject_id": 82,
      "field": "action",
      "value": "Police leave with sealed USB drives",
      "statement": "Officers left the raid with USB drives of files sealed pending legal review.",
      "attribution": null,
      "source_id": 249,
      "evidence_quote": "two USB drives containing a small number of electronic files, which were sealed in plastic bags pending a review by ABC lawyers",
      "evidence_date": "2019-06-05",
      "method": "outlet_report",
      "verified_at": "2026-09-22",
      "confidence": "medium",
      "status": "current",
      "supersedes_id": null,
      "superseded_by": null,
      "supersede_reason": null,
      "batch_label": "v2-research-2026-09-22",
      "created_at": "2026-09-22T23:10:07Z",
      "source": {
        "id": 249,
        "url": "https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-06-05/abc-raided-by-australian-federal-police-afghan-files-stories/11181162",
        "final_url": "https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-06-05/abc-raided-by-australian-federal-police-afghan-files-stories/11181162",
        "title": "ABC raided by Australian Federal Police over Afghan Files stories",
        "publisher": "ABC News (Australia)",
        "published_on": "2019-06-05",
        "link_state": "bot_blocked",
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      "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/claims/314"
    },
    {
      "id": 315,
      "subject_type": "incident",
      "subject_id": 82,
      "field": "effect_on_reporting",
      "value": "ABC vows to protect its sources",
      "statement": "ABC's managing director said the broadcaster would protect its sources and continue reporting on national security matters of public interest.",
      "attribution": null,
      "source_id": 249,
      "evidence_quote": "The ABC stands by its journalists, will protect its sources and continue to report without fear or favour on national security and intelligence issues when there is a clear public interest.",
      "evidence_date": "2019-06-05",
      "method": "outlet_report",
      "verified_at": "2026-09-22",
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      "batch_label": "v2-research-2026-09-22",
      "created_at": "2026-09-22T23:10:08Z",
      "source": {
        "id": 249,
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        "final_url": "https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-06-05/abc-raided-by-australian-federal-police-afghan-files-stories/11181162",
        "title": "ABC raided by Australian Federal Police over Afghan Files stories",
        "publisher": "ABC News (Australia)",
        "published_on": "2019-06-05",
        "link_state": "bot_blocked",
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    {
      "id": 316,
      "subject_type": "incident",
      "subject_id": 82,
      "field": "effect_on_reporting",
      "value": "Editorial director calls reporting outstanding",
      "statement": "ABC's editorial director called the Afghan Files reporting outstanding and in the public interest.",
      "attribution": null,
      "source_id": 249,
      "evidence_quote": "This was outstanding reporting … it was clearly in the public interest and sometimes difficult truths have to be told",
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      "created_at": "2026-09-22T23:10:09Z",
      "source": {
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        "final_url": "https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-06-05/abc-raided-by-australian-federal-police-afghan-files-stories/11181162",
        "title": "ABC raided by Australian Federal Police over Afghan Files stories",
        "publisher": "ABC News (Australia)",
        "published_on": "2019-06-05",
        "link_state": "bot_blocked",
        "link_state_since": "2026-09-22T23:23:23Z",
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  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "id": 249,
      "url": "https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-06-05/abc-raided-by-australian-federal-police-afghan-files-stories/11181162",
      "final_url": "https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-06-05/abc-raided-by-australian-federal-police-afghan-files-stories/11181162",
      "title": "ABC raided by Australian Federal Police over Afghan Files stories",
      "publisher": "ABC News (Australia)",
      "published_on": "2019-06-05",
      "link_state": "bot_blocked",
      "link_state_since": "2026-09-22T23:23:23Z",
      "wayback_url": null,
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    },
    {
      "id": 250,
      "url": "https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/police-won-t-charge-abc-journalist-over-afghan-files-stories-20201015-p565gc.html",
      "final_url": "https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/police-won-t-charge-abc-journalist-over-afghan-files-stories-20201015-p565gc.html",
      "title": "Police won't charge ABC journalist over 'Afghan Files' stories",
      "publisher": "The Sydney Morning Herald",
      "published_on": "2020-10-15",
      "link_state": "paywalled",
      "link_state_since": "2026-09-22T23:23:23Z",
      "wayback_url": null,
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  ],
  "revisions_url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2019-australia-afp-raids-abc-afghan-files/revisions",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"
  },
  "cite_as": "Australian Federal Police raid the national broadcaster over reporting on alleged war crimes in Afghanistan. The War On News, thewaronnews.com. https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2019-australia-afp-raids-abc-afghan-files. Retrieved 2026-09-23."
}