Germany’s foreign intelligence service BND
long spied on journalists of the BBC, The New
York Times, Reuters and other media, news
weekly Der Spiegel reported Friday.
Media rights group Reporters Without Borders
labelled the alleged surveillance “a monstrous
attack on press freedom”, voiced fears the
eavesdropping was continuing and said it was
planning legal action, according to Der Spiegel.
The magazine, which has worked extensively
with US fugitive intelligence contractor Edward
Snowden and has reported on US and German
espionage scandals, cited only documents it
had seen.
It reported that the BND had listed at least 50
telephone and fax numbers and email
addresses of journalists or newsrooms on its
list of “selector” keywords for surveillance
since 1999.
A Spiegel journalist told AFP that the list was
thought to have covered only part of the BND’s
international media targets at the time, and
that it was unknown whether surveillance had
ceased or was ongoing.
On the list seen by Der Spiegel were several
dozen numbers of the British Broadcasting
Corporation at its London headquarters and in
Afghanistan, as well as of the BBC World
Service, it said.
A number used by The New York Times in
Afghanistan was also on the list, as were
mobile and satellite phone numbers of news
agency Reuters in Afghanistan, Pakistan and
Nigeria.
The BND declined to comment, Der Spiegel said
in an excerpt of an article to be published in
full in its weekly edition which hits news
stands Saturday.
A BBC spokeswoman said: “We are
disappointed to hear these claims.
“The BBC’s mission is to bring accurate news
and information to people around the world
and our journalists should be able to operate
freely and safely, with full protection for their
sources.
“We call upon all governments to respect the
operation of a free press.”
Reuters and The New York Times did not
immediately reply to requests for comment
from AFP.
Germany had reacted with outrage when
information leaked by former NSA contractor
Snowden revealed in 2013 that US agents were
carrying out widespread tapping worldwide,
including of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s mobile
phone.
Merkel, who grew up in communist East
Germany where state spying on citizens was
rampant, declared repeatedly that “spying
among friends is not on” while acknowledging
Germany’s reliance on the US in security
matters.
But to the great embarrassment of Germany, it
later emerged that the BND helped the NSA spy
on European targets.
Berlin last June approved new measures,
including greater oversight, to rein in the BND
following the scandal.
