The German intelligence service BND for a long time has spied on journalists from international media like BBC, The New York Times and Reuters, writes Der Spiegel.
Media Reporters Without Borders calls for monitoring “a monstrous attack on press freedom”. It is also concerned about monitoring progress today and warns legal action, according to the German news magazine.
Der Spiegel has worked closely with American Edward Snowden, who revealed American mass surveillance of mobiles and email after he himself had worked for US intelligence.
Now the magazine has gained access to documents which it emerges that the BND since 1999 has had at least 50 phone numbers, fax numbers and email addresses of journalists and editors to their Watchlist.
Many of them work for the BBC in London and Afghanistan, as well as for the BBC World Service, which BBC reacted strongly.
– We are disappointed about that information. The BBC’s mission is to disseminate accurate news and information to people around the world, and our journalists should be able to operate freely and safely, and with full protection of their sources.
The phone number for The New York Times in Afghanistan are also on the list, as well as satellite and mobile numbers to the Reuters news agency in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria.
Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today
