LOC18:45
15:45 GMT
BRUSSELS, Aug 3 (KUNA) -- The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its European organisation, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), called Monday on the German government to immediately drop the investigation launched against two journalists, Andre Meister and Markus Beckedahl, over suspicion of treason.
Following widespread criticism of the decision, the German prosecutor General Harald Range said on Friday that he was suspending the investigation, pending external expertise, "for the good of press and media freedom".
However, the IFJ and the EFJ in a statement demanded that charges be dropped altogether.
According to media reports, journalist Meister and editor-in-chief Beckedahl of the internet blog Netzpolitik.org were investigated for "suspicion of treason" due to two articles about Germany's domestic intelligence agency. If convicted, the journalists could face at least one-year prison sentence.
Jim Boumelha, the IFJ President, in a statement said, "It is unconscionable in a democratic country for media to be intimidated through such self-serving litigation. We share the outrage felt by our German colleagues over this blatant abuse of power for the sole purpose of shielding those with power and influence from public accountability."
Mogens Blicher Bjerregard, the EFJ President, added, "the authority must respect the rights of journalists to inform the citizens and to serve the public interest. The journalists are merely acting in the public interest to expose the abuse of citizen's privacy by the authority."
The Brussels-based IFJ represents more than 600,000 journalists in 134 countries. (end)
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