Germany: Outrage over investigations against journalists

 Because of their reporting on the committee of inquiry into the war on terror, 17 German journalists are being investigated for aiding and abetting the betrayal of secrets. The reactions were prompt and fierce: associations, trade unions and MPs saw the proceedings as an attack on press freedom, while the FDP even called for a change in the law to explicitly exempt journalists from prosecution for breaching official secrets. The investigations were ordered by the President of the Bundestag, Norbert Lammert (CDU), following a criminal complaint against unknown whistleblowers on the committee of inquiry in question. Among other things, the committee dealt with the abduction of terror suspects by the CIA. The charges were primarily directed against members of the Bundestag and other officials suspected of having disclosed confidential files to the public. However, the investigation also includes helpers such as office staff and journalists, according to an SDA report. Various reports have appeared in the media that apparently contain information from secret files.