The Public Prosecution Service is adjusting its rules regarding eavesdropping on suspects in the presence of journalists. In the future, the examining magistrate must always be informed about the presence of journalists at a conversation that is going to be tapped, so that it can be assessed “whether the tapping can continue and, if so, whether this can be done under the same conditions.” The Public Prosecution Service made this on Monday known.
In October, the Board of Attorneys General, the top of the Public Prosecution Service, promised to review all regulations after it became known that a conversation between journalists from De Correspondent and Sywert van Lienden and his business partners had been tapped. The Public Prosecution Service heard about the appointment through a telephone tap, the lawyer of Van Lienden's business partner Bernd Damme said at the time. in return for The Financial Times, and placed listening equipment in the room where it would take place. The conversation was about the face mask affair.
The Correspondent decided last February to sue the Public Prosecution Service for eavesdropping. earlier mentioned the journalistic platform considers the recordings a “very serious infringement of the journalist's source protection”. “It is essential for (investigative) journalism work that journalists can guarantee the confidentiality of conversations with sources. Even if these sources are identified as suspects by the Public Prosecution Service.”
“The eavesdropping was aimed at the suspects and not at the journalists,” the Public Prosecution Service repeats again on Monday in a message about the adjustment of the rules. But, “the course of events has raised questions among journalists, among others.” Under the previous rules, the examining magistrate only had to authorize the eavesdropping of the suspect. If it later turned out that journalists would be present, that authorization did not have to be reassessed.
Also read
Public Prosecution Service is examining conditions under which journalists can be tapped 'as by-catch'
#Public #Prosecution #Service #adjusts #policy #eavesdropping #Correspondent #journalists #Van #Lienden