MOSCOW (Sputnik), Anastasia Levchenko — Spying activities of US National Security Agency and German intelligence services have been in the center of public attention recently after German authorities last week initiated a case against two whistleblower journalists, and then canceled it under pressure from public protest and media criticism.
"Currently, foreign intelligence agencies spy on the world with impunity, acknowledging few if any legal limitations. Given this 'wild wild west' approach to international surveillance, it should come as no surprise that Germany, too, is complicit in spite of its outrage at being the object of such surveillance," Tamir Israel told Sputnik.
According to the lawyer, large-scale and virtually uncontrolled spying emphasizes the need for clear international laws.
"What it demonstrates, more than anything, is the need for some regulation of foreign surveillance at the international level as the status quo is clearly excessive, disruptive of international relations and subject to abuse by all parties," Israel stated.
He suggested that all countries introduce rules to protect their own nationals from being subject to overseas surveillance.
"There need to be some rules and recourse so that states are able to protect their citizens from surveillance of foreign states, and by which they can guide their own conduct when spying on the citizens of foreign states."
He added that intelligence agencies "often have significant operational latitude and the government officials responsible for them often lack awareness of the scope and nature of their operations."
Last week, Germany’s chief prosecutor launched a treason investigation against Markus Beckedahl and Andre Meister, two journalists with the Netzpolitik website, after they disclosed domestic security agency plans to boost social media surveillance.
On Tuesday, German Federal Attorney General Harald Range was dismissed over allegations that he misrepresented the Justice Ministry actions in the treason case.
