Germany's BND secret service banned from using journalists as sources
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
Berlin, May 15, IRNA
Germany-Politics-Esionage
Germany's foreign BND intelligence service has been barred from using journalists as sources on home soil only four days after a new secret service scandal rocked the country's political scene, government spokesman Ulrich Wilhelm told the press in Berlin on Monday.
Wilhelm's latest remarks followed the release of a 170-page document compiled by former German Supreme Court judge Gerhard Schaefer, who reported that the BND spied on an unspecified number of journalists over the years, in some cases paying other journalists to snoop into the work of their colleagues.
"The chancellery has instructed the BND today not to use journalists as sources," Wilhelm said.
"The German government has also requested the BND to give a report by the weekend," he added.
Wilhelm stressed that any decision on "political consequences" would only be made after evaluation of the BND report.
According to the Schaefer report, the dubious surveillance activities began when the BND became suspicious that some of its staff members were passing sensitive information to the media.
The BND was especially interested in journalists at the weekly news magazine Der Spiegel.
Politicians and the media are angered by what they see as a clear violation of press freedom and infringement of civil liberties by the BND secret service, which this year celebrates its 50th anniversary.
OT/2321/1414
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