Denmark “trying to intimidate and stifle independent journalism.” - IFJ

international | rights, freedoms and repression | news report Sunday July 09, 2006 00:58 by Coilín ÓhAiseadha Máigh Nuad, Co. Cill Dara 086 060 3818

Editor-in-chief indicted for intelligence leak

The International Federation of Journalists on Tuesday denounced countries including Denmark, the United States and the United Kingdom for “trying to intimidate and stifle independent journalism.” The IFJ says that a global crackdown on investigative journalism led by countries that are supposed to be models of democracy is repressive and is depriving people of their basic rights – “most importantly the right of citizens to know what their government is doing.”

Meanwhile, one of Denmark's conservative daily papers, Berlingske Tidende, yesterday reported that the paper's editor-in-chief is now being indicted, along with two of his journalists, for publishing information obtained from classified military intelligence documents. In the documents, prepared before Denmark invaded Iraq in 2003, the Danish defence intelligence service advised the government that there was no sure evidence that Iraq was in possession of weapons of mass destruction.

These developments stand in stark contrast to the rosy picture of freedom of the press painted by the Danish government in association with the deliberately provocative publication of cartoons of Muhammad in another Danish newspaper last year.

Please read excerpts from the IFJ's report plus an English translation of Berlingske Tidende's latest report, below.

IFJ Raises Alarm over Western Attacks on Whistleblowers and Investigative Journalism

04/07/2006

The International Federation of Journalists said today it is alarmed by mounting attacks on media and whistleblowers by Western governments trying to hide potentially illegal or damaging actions and statements.

“It is unacceptable to see countries like the United States, Great Britain, and Denmark trying to intimidate and stifle independent journalism,” said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary, “while others, like Germany and the Netherlands, are caught out snooping on media and tapping the telephones of journalists.”

The IFJ says that a global crackdown on investigative journalism led by countries that are supposed to be models of democracy is repressive and is depriving people of their basic rights – “most importantly the right of citizens to know what their government is doing.”

There have been numerous attacks on media in the US and Europe in recent months, with governments often defending their actions in the name of protecting public safety or “fighting the war on terrorism.”

...

And in Denmark Michael Bjerre and Jesper Larsen of the daily newspaper Berlingske Tidende, a Danish daily, face two years in prison at their trial later this year in an unprecedented trial because they reported in 2004 that before joining the Iraq invasion, the Danish government was told by military intelligence there was no firm evidence of banned weapons in Iraq. They are charged with "publishing information illegally obtained by a third party" under the Criminal Code.

The Danish whistleblower, a former intelligence officer, was convicted and jailed for four months last year. [Actually, although he was given a prison sentence, he is appealing to the European Court of Human Rights. - Coilín]

These actions, coupled with the news that journalists in the Netherlands have had had their communications tapped by security services and that in Germany spies were planted in media to stop leaks to the press, are raising concerns that there is a concerted effort across the Western world to try to stifle voices of dissent within government and to prevent journalists from exposing wrongdoing.

“When governments bully their journalists, censor the media and persecute whistleblowers, they seriously damage the watchdog role of journalism,” said White. “In turbulent times we need more informed, professional and accurate reporting about the work of government, not gags and intimidation.”

...

http://www.ifj.org/default.asp?Index=4027&Language=EN

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Now Berlingske Tidende’s editor-in-chief is indicted

Berlingske Tidende 8 July 2006

FE-Gate: Two Berlingske journalists will be accompanied by editor-in-chief Niels Lunde when the court case against them commences in November. They are being indicted for publishing classified information from the Danish Defence Intelligence Service, FE.

By Elisabeth Arnsdorf Haslund

[Danish conservative daily newspaper] Berlingske Tidende’s editor-in-chief, Niels Lunde, has now also been indicted for what might be called “FE-Gate”, where, in a series of articles, two of the newspaper’s journalists described classified documents from the Danish Defence Intelligence Service - documents they had gained access to via the now convicted intelligence officer Frank Grevil.

For two years, Regional Prosecutor Karsten Hjorth had overlooked the fact that, according to the Media Liability Act, an editor-in-chief can also be indicted on an equal footing with his/her journalists, if he has had knowledge of the contents of the articles - not until April did the Director of Public Prosecutions make him aware of it, which resulted in a charge being brought against Niels Lunde.

The Director of Public Prosecutions has now prepared what is known as a resolution, which indicts the editor-in-chief, even though an indictment is not yet available from the Copenhagen police.

The case against editor-in-chief Niels Lunde will run parallel with the case against the journalists Michael Bjerre and Jesper Larsen from 13 November in Copenhagen City Court. All three are being indicted in accordance with the Criminal Code § 152, section 2 – for having passed on or exploited classified information under aggravating circumstances - and risk up to two years’ prison.

eah at berlingske dot dk

Read the Danish original here: http://www.berlingske.dk/indland/artikel:aid=763420/