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. 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. 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. “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.

Source: Manila Times February 25, 2017 13:12 UTC