Journalists spied on in Germany
Germany’s Foreign Intelligence Agency – or BND – has been caught spying on journalists. A leaked report commissioned by Germany’s Parliamentary Control Committee criticised the BND for overstepping it’s bounds by spying on the press and also for using journalists to inform on each other. The report stems from an investigation into the surveillance of Erich Schmidt-Eenboom, the editor of the news magazine Focus. Lead by a former federal court judge, Gerhard Schäfer, the investigation found that journalists at a number of other major German newspapers were also placed under surveillance. While others were on the BND payroll. There are now claims that the BND has been carrying out such practices for over 25 years. The BND has countered that it’s actions were purely for it’s self-protection. Cinnamon Nippard reports from Berlin.