Iceland summons U.S. envoy over WikiLeaks probe WIKILEAKS

Icelandic parliament deputy Birgitta Jonsdottir poses during an interview near the Iceland's parliament building in Reykjavik on August 3, 2010. The United States Justice Department is seeking access to Jonsdottir's, former WikiLeaks collaborator, Twitter account as it tries to build a criminal case against WikiLeaks. HALLDOR KOLBEINS/AFP/Getty Images less Icelandic parliament deputy Birgitta Jonsdottir poses during an interview near the Iceland's parliament building in Reykjavik on August 3, 2010. The United States Justice Department is seeking access to ... more Photo: HALLDOR KOLBEINS/AFP/Getty Image, AFP/Getty Images Photo: HALLDOR KOLBEINS/AFP/Getty Image, AFP/Getty Images Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Iceland summons U.S. envoy over WikiLeaks probe 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

The U.S. ambassador to Reykjavik, Iceland, has been summoned to explain why U.S. investigators are trying to access the private details of an Icelandic lawmaker's online activity as they try to build a criminal case against WikiLeaks.

Revelations that the U.S. Justice Department obtained a court order to examine data held by Twitter Inc. on Birgitta Jonsdottir, an Icelandic parliamentarian who sits on the country's Foreign Affairs Committee, immediately caused consternation in the tiny North Atlantic nation.

"(It is) very serious that a foreign state, the United States, demands such personal information of an Icelandic person, an elected official," Interior Minister Ogmundur Jonasson told Icelandic broadcaster RUV.

"This is even more serious when put (in) perspective and concerns freedom of speech and people's freedom in general," he added.

Jonsdottir is a one-time WikiLeaks collaborator also known for her work on Iceland's media initiative, which aims to turn the island nation into a free-speech haven. Jonsdottir said she was too overwhelmed to comment Sunday, but in a recent post to Twitter, she said she was talking with American lawyers about how to beat the order - and was drumming up support in Iceland as well.

U.S. Ambassador Luis Arreaga has been summoned for a meeting at Iceland's Foreign Ministry to discuss the issue, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Urdur Gunnarsdottir said Sunday. It was not clear when the meeting would take place.

The U.S. Embassy in Reykjavik said no one would comment until today.

The evolving diplomatic spat illustrates the challenge American prosecutors face as they weigh whether to bring charges against WikiLeaks, the online operation that has angered and embarrassed Washington with a series of huge leaks of classified information.