A Gold Coast police officer who leaked video footage of his colleagues assaulting a handcuffed man could face charges and jail time, civil libertarians say.

Australian Council for Civil Liberties president Terry O'Gorman says the case goes to the heart of the risks whistleblowers take.

He has called on Police Minister Jo-Ann Miller to take a personal interest in the case if charges are laid, and he says all Queenslanders should be watching the case closely.

"Queenslanders will say what sort of a system have we got where a video shows a number of police belting the hell out of a bloke. They don't get charged, but the officer who leaks the video to the media gets charged," Mr O'Gorman told the ABC.