German police spies on journalists

In another blow for journalistic freedom in Germany, it’s been revealed today that the police has been wire-tapping journalists of tagesschau.de and NDR radio. This is apparently covered by paragraph 129a, one of those anti-terror laws that have done nothing to protect us, and everything to make everyday people’s life hell.

Link in German and some information in English (towards the end of the article).

This comes after last week’s revelation that police have been rifling through everybody’s mail. Link also in German, I’m afraid.

German parliament amends law on data storage, wire-tapping

Yesterday, Germany lost one of the cornerstones of its constitution. The fundamental rights of journalists to keep their sources confidential, the Hippocratic oath and attorney-client confidentiality have all been sacrificed.

The International Press Institute calls on Germany to rethink that strategy:

The proposed amendment creates different classes of protection, with defence attorneys, parliamentarians and members of the clergy beyond scrutiny in the first class. By contrast, journalists would be treated as less worthy of protection, with investigating magistrates having the right to require journalists to divulge their communications if doing so is in the interests of the prosecution.

Link