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| German Prosecutors Drop Inquiry of 2 Journalists Suspected of Treason | German Prosecutors Drop Inquiry of 2 Journalists Suspected of Treason |
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| BERLIN — Federal prosecutors in Germany announced on Monday that they were dropping an unusual investigation into whether two journalists had committed treason when they published confidential material about government plans for Internet surveillance. | BERLIN — Federal prosecutors in Germany announced on Monday that they were dropping an unusual investigation into whether two journalists had committed treason when they published confidential material about government plans for Internet surveillance. |
| The decision to abandon the inquiry came as little surprise after a rare public dispute last week ended with the justice minister, Heiko Maas, successfully pressing for the ouster of the top federal prosecutor, Harald Range. | The decision to abandon the inquiry came as little surprise after a rare public dispute last week ended with the justice minister, Heiko Maas, successfully pressing for the ouster of the top federal prosecutor, Harald Range. |
| The two men clashed over whether Mr. Maas had wrongly intervened in the criminal investigation of the journalists, which Mr. Range opened after a complaint from the head of Germany’s domestic intelligence service. | The two men clashed over whether Mr. Maas had wrongly intervened in the criminal investigation of the journalists, which Mr. Range opened after a complaint from the head of Germany’s domestic intelligence service. |
| The two journalists, Markus Beckedahl and André Meister, work with Netzpolitik.org, a website focused on online privacy, media freedom and Germany’s intelligence services. | The two journalists, Markus Beckedahl and André Meister, work with Netzpolitik.org, a website focused on online privacy, media freedom and Germany’s intelligence services. |
| Mr. Beckedahl, the site’s founder, said in a statement that he and Mr. Meister welcomed the decision to drop the investigation but condemned the move as insufficient. | Mr. Beckedahl, the site’s founder, said in a statement that he and Mr. Meister welcomed the decision to drop the investigation but condemned the move as insufficient. |
| “We want to know concretely whether we were victims of surveillance measures in the framework of almost three months of investigation,” said Mr. Beckedahl, who was notified in July, along with his colleague, of the treason inquiry. | “We want to know concretely whether we were victims of surveillance measures in the framework of almost three months of investigation,” said Mr. Beckedahl, who was notified in July, along with his colleague, of the treason inquiry. |
| Mr. Beckedahl demanded further details about who in the government knew what, and when, about the investigation, which started in May. | Mr. Beckedahl demanded further details about who in the government knew what, and when, about the investigation, which started in May. |
| Mr. Beckedahl noted that investigations were continuing against the unnamed source who had passed the information to the journalists, and he said that stronger laws to protect whistle-blowers were needed. | Mr. Beckedahl noted that investigations were continuing against the unnamed source who had passed the information to the journalists, and he said that stronger laws to protect whistle-blowers were needed. |
| The decision to investigate for treason stirred an uproar in Germany, where media freedom is a particularly delicate topic given the history of Nazi and Communist rule. In an influential case in 1962, former Defense Minister Franz Josef Strauss lost his job after pursuing the newsweekly Der Spiegel for publishing documents that were described as secret. | |
| Michael Konken, head of the German Federation of Journalists, attributed the decision to drop the investigation of Mr. Beckedahl and Mr. Meister to the broad opposition against the inquiry. | Michael Konken, head of the German Federation of Journalists, attributed the decision to drop the investigation of Mr. Beckedahl and Mr. Meister to the broad opposition against the inquiry. |
| “The attempt to criminalize the affected journalists failed spectacularly,” he said in a statement. He called for the rules covering treason investigations to be modified to exempt journalists. | “The attempt to criminalize the affected journalists failed spectacularly,” he said in a statement. He called for the rules covering treason investigations to be modified to exempt journalists. |
| Steffen Seibert, a spokesman for Chancellor Angela Merkel, said at a regular news conference that the government would not comment on the prosecutors’ move, but he underlined the general commitment to media freedom. | Steffen Seibert, a spokesman for Chancellor Angela Merkel, said at a regular news conference that the government would not comment on the prosecutors’ move, but he underlined the general commitment to media freedom. |