#rp14 speakers: Sarah Harrison & Alexa O’Brien – the Right to Know

Let’s go a little back in time: In June 2013, Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald began to report on spying and surveillance activities by the NSA, GCHQ and co. Shortly after in Hong Kong, Edward Snowden identified himself as the whistleblower and source of Greenwald’s information.

What followed was Snowden’s incredible odyssey which, after 39 days in the transit area at Moscow’s airport, ended with the granting of asylum in Russia. During this time, Sarah Harrison was by his side.

The British journalist has been involved in Wikileaks since 2010 and is one of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange’s closest confidants. Harrison aided Edward Snowden during his departure from Hong Kong and the search for asylum that followed. For four months, she was by his side. When she finally left Russia, she feared prosecution in her home country and so decided to set up base in Germany. At re:publica she and Alexa O’Brien, journalist and film maker, will share her experiences on whistleblowing.

O’Brien is also an expert on whilsteblowing. She is one of the few journalists permitted to cover the court proceedings against Chelsea Manning and has built a comprehensive archive of transcripts on the trial. 

Surely, one of the most exciting sessions at this year’s re:publica – Sarah Harrison and Alexa O’Brien discuss whistleblowing and whistleblowers. 

Foto: cc-by-sa 3.0 Wikipedia/Tobias Klenze