The detention of former British diplomat Ian Proud after attending the Valdai Conference raises troubling questions about the use of counter-terrorism and border powers against people advocating dialogue rather than escalation.

Former senior British diplomat Ian Proud was detained on Friday evening as he landed at Heathrow airport after attending the annual Valdai Conference in Moscow. A squad of plain-clothes counter-terrorism police intercepted him as he exited the plane and interrogated him until the small hours of Saturday morning. He had DNA and fingerprint samples taken, had his computer, phone and data stick confiscated, and was warned of the consequences of failing to comply with questioning under the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act.

Ian, the author of A Misfit in Moscow: How British diplomacy in Russia failed: 2014-2019, has become a powerful voice advocating for a return to diplomacy to solve international crises.

In my recent article ‘Non-diplomacy and its consequences' I quoted Ian a couple of times, including his valuable insight: “Diplomacy is tough, it’s not about friendship. Diplomacy is about settling differences and finding ways to coexist.” Ian also told me during a discussion a few months ago: “Diplomacy is not about going to summits where you meet lots of people who already agree with you. That’s not diplomacy, that is theatre.”

Like many, I reached out to Ian to extend solidarity. He told me he felt the British intelligence services were doing more than intimidating him personally.

“I can cope with the stress of things like this happening to me, but part of the intent is to cause my family so much anxiety that it makes it harder........

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