Image copyright AP Image caption The BND has a huge listening post at Bad Aibling near Munich

The BBC has voiced dismay over alleged German spying on foreign journalists, including some working for the BBC.

Germany's foreign intelligence service BND spied on media e-mails, faxes and phone calls, including more than a dozen BBC numbers in London and Afghanistan, Spiegel news reported.

The surveillance, which began in 1999, also extended to Reuters news agency and the New York Times, it is alleged.

"We are disappointed to hear these claims," a BBC spokesperson said.

"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."

The BBC has approached the BND about the allegations, but has so far not received a response.

Spiegel reports that at least 50 numbers used by international journalists were monitored by the BND.

The respected German news organisation plans to release more details about the alleged spying on Saturday.

It has seen documents from a German parliament (Bundestag) inquiry into the BND's role in US-led mass surveillance.

US whistleblower Edward Snowden revealed the global scale of surveillance by the National Security Agency (NSA) which, he said, was assisted by the BND and the UK spy agency GCHQ.

On 16 February Chancellor Angela Merkel testified before the Bundestag inquiry. According to the revelations, she was among the NSA's targets.</s>Arnaud Zajtman, 44, is not exactly the kind of person you would mistake for a terrorist, weapons trader or drug dealer. The Belgian journalist has been reporting from Africa for almost 20 years, with a keen interest in Congo. For 10 years, he was stationed in Kinshasa as a correspondent, first for the BBC and then for the television broadcaster France 24. His stories focused on the forgotten children of Congo, on the battles fought by the rebels and on the country's first free elections since 1965.

In that election year, in September 2006, the Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND), Germany's foreign intelligence agency, took an interest in the journalist's work. Agents included Zajtman's two Congolese telephone numbers in the agency's surveillance list as so-called "selectors."

Zajtman knew nothing about it. German officials never informed him that his phone had been tapped, the journalist says. He was horrified when he was contacted by SPIEGEL regarding the alleged surveillance by the Germans. "It isn't a good feeling to know that somebody was listening in when you're dealing with highly sensitive sources."

The Belgian journalist isn't the only reporter who was spied on. According to documents seen by SPIEGEL, the BND conducted surveillance on at least 50 additional telephone numbers, fax numbers and email addresses belonging to journalists or newsrooms around the world in the years following 1999.

Included among them were more than a dozen connections belonging to the BBC, often to the offices of the international World Service. The documents indicate that the German intelligence agency didn't just tap into the phones of BBC correspondents in Afghanistan, but also targeted telephone and fax numbers at BBC headquarters in London.

A phone number belonging to the New York Times in Afghanistan was also on the BND list, as were several mobile and satellite numbers belonging to the news agency Reuters in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria. The German spies also conducted surveillance on the independent Zimbabwean newspaper Daily News before dictator Robert Mugabe banned it for seven years in 2003. Other numbers on the list belonged to news agencies from Kuwait, Lebanon and India in addition to journalist associations in Nepal and Indonesia.

Journalists in Germany enjoy far-reaching protection against state meddling. They enjoy similar legal protection to lawyers, doctors and priests: occupations that require secrecy. Journalists have the right to refuse to testify in court in order to protect their sources. German law forbids the country's domestic intelligence agency from conducting surveillance on persons who have that right.

The German chapter of Reporters without Borders says that the BND's systematic surveillance of journalists is an "egregious attack on press freedoms" and "a new dimension of constitutional violation." Christian Mihr, head of the German chapter of Reporters without Borders, says that press freedom "is not a right granted by the graciousness of the German government, it is an inviolable human right that also applies to foreign journalists."

The allegations come as the German parliamentary investigative committee focusing on U.S. spying in Germany is completing its inquiry. Chancellor Angela Merkel, who appeared before the committee last Thursday, was the last witness called and now the committee members are working on their closing report. But even as the committee also addressed extensive BND spying, the surveillance of journalists was only a fringe issue.

Committee members, for example, referred in their questions to the scandal surrounding SPIEGEL reporter Susanne Koelbl, whose emails were read by the BND for a several-month period in 2006. Agency employees said at the time that their target had been the Afghan minister for industry and trade, with whom Koelbl was in contact. The journalist's emails, they insisted, had been inadvertently intercepted and the agency issued her an apology.

But the surveillance of journalists documented in the papers SPIEGEL has seen was almost certainly not inadvertent. The search terms used clearly targeted the journalists or the newsrooms whose contact information is on the BND list. The German intelligence agency declined to comment on the allegations. "Regarding operative aspects of its activities, the BND comments exclusively to the German government or the committee responsible in the German parliament," the BND press office stated.

Reporters without Borders is concerned that the BND will continue conducting surveillance on foreign journalists. And the new law governing the BND, which went into effect in January, won't change that. "What is missing from the new law is an exception for journalists of the kind that exists (in the law governing domestic intelligence)," says Mihr. And he is prepared to fight for it. Together with other journalist associations and under the leadership of the Society for Civil Rights, Reporters without Borders is preparing a constitutional challenge to the new BND law.</s>Germany's Federal Intelligence Service (BND) reportedly spied on journalists across the globe, including those with the BBC, Reuters and New York Times. The spy agency reportedly spied on nearly 50 phone and fax numbers, as well as email addresses of journalists and editors around the world since 1999, according to documents related to the German parliament's commission investigation into Germany's role in the NSA's surveillance.

According to the documents, the BND's list of surveillance targets reportedly included over a dozen connections of the BBC in Afghanistan, as well as the BBC headquarters in London and the editors of the BBC World Service. Phone numbers of Reuters journalists and offices in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria were also monitored, along with the phone number of a contact of the New York Times in Afghanistan, Der Speigel reported.

In Germany, journalists are reportedly provided special protection against state interference and treated as "professional" secret keepers, not unlike doctors or lawyers. For instance, journalists have the right to refuse to provide testimony, to protect their sources.

Consequently, reports of BND spying on journalists have sparked outrage among many in the field. Reporters Without Borders (ROG) deemed the monitoring of journalists as a "monstrous attack on the freedom of press" and a "new dimension of the constitutional break." The organisation now fears that the BND will continue to monitor and intercept journalists' communications. ROG is reportedly preparing to file a constitutional complaint against a spy law adopted by Germany in 2016.

Meanwhile, BBC has voiced its "dismay" over the alleged German spying of its journalists. "We are disappointed to hear these claims," a BBC spokesperson said. "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."

The BND is yet to comment on the matter.

In 2013, NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden revealed the global reach of the US' surveillance, which he claimed was assisted by the BND and the UK spy agency GCHQ.

On 16 February, Chancellor Angela Merkel, who was reportedly one of the targets of the NSA, became the latest to testify before the German parliament commission, in the three-year probe into the matter.</s>Among the objects of surveillance were offices of the BBC broadcasting company in London and in Afghanistan, a bureau of the New York Times in Afghanistan and Reuters' hubs in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria.

BND representatives refused to comment on the issue. But the magazine noted that the actions of German intelligence contradict the principle of non-interference in the work of media in Germany.

"In Germany, journalists enjoy special protection from state interference. They are allowed to have so-called professional secrets, like medical workers or lawyers. For example, they have the right to refuse to give evidence in court to protect their sources," the magazine wrote.

​Unthinkable! #BND is said to have spied on journalists. #Bundesregierung must investigate.

​Self-control of the BND by Federal Chancellor, special investigators, intelligence commissioners has failed. Public reconnaissance needed #NSAUA

​Merkel denies responsibility for #BND spying, although the BND is under the control of the Federal Chancellor.

Reporters without borders, an infamous organization promoting freedom of speech, considered the action of the BND as "a monstrous attack on press freedom" and a violation of the country's constitution.

According to Spiegel Online, the activists are afraid that the BND will continue its espionage activities, which is why they decided to file corresponding constitutional complaint.

Later, a series of documents also revealed that BND was actively involved in espionage against European citizens and politicians not only at the request of NSA, but also on its own initiative.</s>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 ongoing and said it was planning legal action, according to Der Spiegel.

The magazine, which has extensively worked with US fugitive intelligence contractor Edward Snowden and reported on US and German espionage scandals, only cited documents it had seen.

While it is unknown exactly who the BND spied on, news of the surveillance is a culmination of the three year inquiry that resulted in German Chancellor Angela Merkel giving evidence last week.

Der Spiegel 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.

These included 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 of 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 early 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.'

Meanwhile, Merkel admitted on earlier this month that she did not know how closely Germany's spies cooperated with their US counterparts until 2015, well after an uproar over reports of United States bugging of her cellphone.

Merkel, who is running for a fourth term in September, told a parliamentary committee that she assumed Germany's BND foreign intelligence agency would not help the US National Security Agency (NSA) to spy on European politicians and companies.

German media revealed in 2013 that the NSA had bugged Merkel's cellphone, which strained relations with Washington.

Opposition lawmakers wanted to know if Merkel knew that the BND was helping the NSA spy on European allies when she uttered those words. She told the committee that she had assumed at the time that 'the BND would not do such thing'.

The German parliament set up the investigation in 2014.

Surveillance is a sensitive issue in Germany where East Germany's Stasi secret police and the Nazi era Gestapo kept a close watch on the population.

Germany's highest court last year rejected a bid by opposition politicians to make the government disclose to the investigating committee the surveillance targets it worked on with the NSA.

German lawmakers in October approved a law to tighten oversight of the BND, but critics said the new rules do exactly the opposite.</s>The BND has spied upon more than 50 phone and fax numbers as well as e-mail addresses of journalists and editorial offices of various news media outlets around the world since 1999, Der Spiegel says , citing the documents of the German parliament's commission investigating the US surveillance in Germany and the US cooperation with local intelligence.According to the papers reportedly seen by Der Spiegel, the list of surveillance targets included particularly more than a dozen contacts of BBC journalists in Afghanistan as well as the BBC central office in London and the office of the BBC World Service.The list also featured the mobile phone numbers of Reuters journalists and offices in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria as well as a contact of the New York Times office in Afghanistan, Der Spiegel reports.Meanwhile, the BND refused to comment on the issue. However, Der Spiegel's report provoked an angry reaction from the Reporters without Borders activist group that called the actions of the BND a "disastrous violation of the freedom of the press" and a "new dimension of constitutional violations."Reporters Without Borders also expressed concern that German intelligence could continue its surveillance over foreign journalists. It added that it is now preparing to file a constitutional complaint against a spy law adopted by German lawmakers in October 2016.At that time, the German parliament approved a bill granting the intelligence agencies wider powers, including spying on EU facilities, but also introducing broader oversight. Critics of the legislation immediately lambasted the law as "unconstitutional."In the meantime, the BBC said it was "disappointed" by the actions of the BND and called "upon all governments to respect the operation of a free press.""We are disappointed to hear these claims," a BBC spokesperson said, adding that 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."The BND was also sharply criticized by some German MPs. "Here comes something we feared for a long time. Monitoring of journalists," Konstantin Notz, a lawmaker from the Green Party, said in a Twitter post.Harald Petzold, an MP from the Left Party, called the actions of the BND "an attack on press freedom ... not compatible with our constitution," adding that the German intelligence service had "developed a dangerous life of its own."In 2013, the former NSA employee Edward Snowden disclosed US mass surveillance to the global public, revealing in particular that the NSA targeted US allies in Paris and Berlin. At that time, Germany expressed its outrage over the actions of US intelligence.In 2015, Der Spiegel already reported that the BND targeted many 'friendly' states and organizations, including the Ministries of Interior of Poland, Austria, Denmark and Croatia; US diplomatic missions at the EU and UN, as well as the US Treasury Department and Department of the Interior in Washington.Inside Germany, the embassies and consulates of France, Great Britain, Sweden, Portugal, Greece, Spain, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, and even the Vatican were tapped, the magazine said at that time.The revelations prompted a parliamentary investigation into the activities of the NSA in Germany and its cooperation with the BND that has been lasting for three years now. The German parliament's commission that makes the investigation is due to file its final report on the matter in the second half of June.Last week, the commission questioned German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose testimony was the latest in the three-year investigation.</s>Berlin - 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 on Friday.

Media rights group Reporters Without Borders labelled the alleged surveillance "a monstrous attack on press freedom", voiced fears the eavesdropping was ongoing and said it was planning legal action, according to Der Spiegel.

The magazine, which has extensively worked with US fugitive intelligence contractor Edward Snowden and reported on US and German espionage scandals, only cited 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.

These included 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 of 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 early excerpt of an article to be published in full in its weekly edition which hits news stands Saturday.

A BBC spokesperson 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."</s>BERLIN — The German weekly Der Spiegel reports that the country's spy agency had at least 50 numbers and email addresses of journalists among its surveillance targets.

Spiegel reported Friday that a list seen by the magazine contained over a dozen numbers belonging to the BBC in Afghanistan and London. It says a New York Times phone number in Afghanistan and several cell and satellite phone numbers for the Reuters news agency in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria were also on the list.

Germany's foreign intelligence agency, known by its acronym BND, declined to comment directly on the report.

In a statement sent to The Associated Press, the agency said it only communicates with the German government and lawmakers on parliament's intelligence oversight committee about "operative aspects" of its work.</s>BERLIN: 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 (Saturday in Manila).

Media rights group Reporters Without Borders labeled 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 reported on US and German espionage scandals, said it 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 Agence France-Presse 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 of 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 Agence France-Presse.</s>BERLIN (AP) - The German weekly Der Spiegel reports that the country's spy agency had at least 50 numbers and email addresses of journalists among its surveillance targets.

Spiegel reported Friday that a list seen by the magazine contained over a dozen numbers belonging to the BBC in Afghanistan and London. It says a New York Times phone number in Afghanistan and several cell and satellite phone numbers for the Reuters news agency in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria were also on the list.

Germany's foreign intelligence agency, known by its acronym BND, declined to comment directly on the report.

FILE - The July 8, 2013 file picture shows the BND monitoring base in Bad Aibling, near Munich, Germany. German weekly Der Spiegel reported Friday, Feb. 24, 2017 that the country's spy agency had at least 50 numbers and email addresses belonging to journalists among its targets for surveillance (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader,File )

In a statement sent to The Associated Press, the agency said it only communicates with the German government and lawmakers on parliament's intelligence oversight committee about "operative aspects" of its work.
A report alleges that the German BND has been spying on journalists in Afghanistan.