Watchdog sounds EU alarm over spying on press
Watchdog sounds EU alarm over spying on press
Reuters | June 2nd 2006
European countries need to investigate whether journalists are being systematically spied upon by security agencies, a global press watchdog said on Thursday, citing cases in Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark.
"It is becoming increasingly clear that there are not sufficient measures in place to protect legitimate journalism from intrusive and potentially chilling surveillance by police and security forces within the European Union," said Aidan White, head of the International Federation of Journalists.
In letters to the heads of EU institutions, the IFJ said a "culture of routine surveillance" appeared to be developing that could endanger press freedom.
White asked the EU's executive Commission and parliament to investigate whether there was any coordinated policy of surveillance of media in Europe and whether police forces were cooperating in actions directed at media or journalists.
In Germany, the government last month banned the foreign intelligence agency from spying on journalists or using them as sources after it emerged it had placed investigative reporters under surveillance in order to uncover their sources.
The affair has raised questions for both the security services and for the media themselves, as an investigation revealed that some journalists willingly informed on their peers in exchange for money or information.
In the Netherlands, the IFJ said it was supporting complaints to the Dutch government over the case of two newspaper journalists who had their telephones tapped.
It also cited the case in Denmark of two journalists facing prosecution and possible jail terms for publishing "information illegally obtained by a third party" in an investigation into the government's arguments for supporting the U.S.-led Iraq war.
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