Germany's top human rights official has sharply criticised the British government for its crackdown on the Guardian newspaper over its publication of US security secrets leaked by Edward Snowden.
Markus Löhning, the human rights chief at Germany's foreign ministry, said on Wednesday the British government had crossed “the red line” and had their actions had left him "truly appalled".
He expressed "great concern” about media freedom in Britain after the Guardian said it was forced to destroy files linked to US surveillance practices or face a court battle.
Löhning also slammed the detention and questioning at a London airport on Sunday of the partner of US journalist Glenn Greenwald who has written extensively about Snowden's revelations for the Guardian.
"The United Kingdom has a long and proud tradition of freedom but the way the authorities detained David Miranda at Heathrow airport I see as unacceptable," he told newspaper the Berliner Zeitung.
"That took place on the basis of an anti-terror law but I cannot see any connection to terrorism. And the actions of the security services against the Guardian as described by editor-in-chief Alan Rusbridger deeply shocked me.” He added: “The red line was crossed there." Full story...
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Markus Löhning, the human rights chief at Germany's foreign ministry, said on Wednesday the British government had crossed “the red line” and had their actions had left him "truly appalled".
He expressed "great concern” about media freedom in Britain after the Guardian said it was forced to destroy files linked to US surveillance practices or face a court battle.
Löhning also slammed the detention and questioning at a London airport on Sunday of the partner of US journalist Glenn Greenwald who has written extensively about Snowden's revelations for the Guardian.
"The United Kingdom has a long and proud tradition of freedom but the way the authorities detained David Miranda at Heathrow airport I see as unacceptable," he told newspaper the Berliner Zeitung.
"That took place on the basis of an anti-terror law but I cannot see any connection to terrorism. And the actions of the security services against the Guardian as described by editor-in-chief Alan Rusbridger deeply shocked me.” He added: “The red line was crossed there." Full story...
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