Netzpolitik.org authors Markus Beckedahl (right) and Andre Meister (left) at protest against treason investigations in Berlin, August 2015
In Spring 2015, netzpolitik.org leaked internal government documents which detailed the proposed surveillance expansion of social networks by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, an intelligence agency, by producing two articles, first in February 2015[2] and then in April 2015.[3]
On July 31, 2015, netzpolitik.org announced:
Today, we received a letter from the Federal Attorney General of Germany confirming ongoing investigations against our reporters Markus Beckedahl, Andre Meister and an "unknown" source, suspecting us of treason according to the German Penal Code.[4]
Up until that point, they were known to have been witnesses in the case, but this letter confirmed that they would be investigated as "joint principals".[4]
The last time such charges were brought against a journalist in Germany was in 1962 amid much uproar, when the editor-in-chief of Der Spiegel was accused of treason for publishing secret documents about the German defense forces, and spent 103 days in prison (see Spiegel affair).[5]
The bloggers describe themselves as a platform for digital freedoms, specifically fighting against mass surveillance. netzpolitik.org is extensively reporting on the ongoing intelligence scandals, consequently live-covering the German parliamentary investigation committee on NSA surveillance. Besides this live-blogging, there is a broad evaluation and commenting on the insights won in the committee.[8] The bloggers have vigorously criticized surveillance laws and practices for many years.
