“It isn’t a good feeling to know that somebody was listening in when you’re dealing with highly sensitive sources.” Belgian journalist Arnaud Zajtman

In September 2006, the Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND), Germany’s foreign intelligence agency, included Belgian journalist Arnaud Zajtman’s two Congolese telephone numbers in the agency’s surveillance list as so-called “selectors.” Follow us on Twitter: @Intel_Today

Arnaud Zajtman, 44, has been reporting from Africa for almost 20 years, with a keen interest in Congo.

For 10 years, he was stationed in Kinshasa as a correspondent, first for the BBC and then for the television broadcaster France 24. His stories focused on the forgotten children of Congo, on the battles fought by the rebels and on the country’s first free elections since 1965. [SPIEGEL]

The German intelligence agency declined to comment on the allegations.

“Regarding operative aspects of its activities, the BND comments exclusively to the German government or the committee responsible in the German parliament,” the BND press office stated.

The BND will — almost certainly — continue conducting surveillance on foreign journalists. And the new law governing the BND, which went into effect in January, makes it legal in certain circumstances.

Journalisme d’investigation en RDC : témoignage d’Arnaud Zajtman (French)

REFERENCES

Documents Indicate Germany Spied on Foreign Journalists — SPIEGEL