A group of hackers and a human rights organization have filed a lawsuit against the German government for conducting illegal espionage activities, aiding the National Security Agency (NSA) and its British counterpart GCHQ.
The Chaos Computer Club (CCC), one of the world’s largest hacker groups, and the International League for Human Rights (ILHR) filed the lawsuit with German federal prosecutors on Monday. The groups accuse the German government, led by Chancellor Angela Merkel, of “illegal and prohibited secret intelligence activities, complicity and aiding and abetting their activities, violation of the right to privacy and obstruction of justice” for their collaboration with the NSA and GCHQ, according to a CCC press release.
“Now we finally know with certainty that the secret services of Germany and other countries have violated German criminal law.”
A publication of the German magazine Der Spiegel revealed in October that Angela Merkel was one of the NSA's targets. Angela Merkel even called Obama to clarify the incident. Some German legislators have already reported the launch of an investigation into the NSA's practices and contacted Edward Snowden to support it.
Now, with the new evidence, it appears that the German government is not a victim, but an enabler of the NSA and GCHQ. That is why the two groups are asking prosecutors to launch a criminal investigation, describing it as “necessary and mandatory.”
The CCC and ILHR are also asking prosecutors to call Snowden as a witness, ensure his safe passage to Germany, and protect him from extradition to the United States.
