UK state threats bill could pull British journalists into terror prosecutions, experts say

The national security (state threats) bill is designed to allow the UK government to label state-backed groups as terrorist organisations. Photograph: Geza Kurka/Alamy

British foreign correspondents could be at risk of prosecution if they use sources within state-backed groups in countries such as Iran under national security legislation being rushed through parliament this week.

David Anderson, a former UK independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, has warned that unless the bill is amended it could accidentally pull journalists working in danger-zone countries into prosecutions for terrorism.