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German Prosecutor Fired over Treason Investigation

posted by takyon on Tuesday August 04 2015, @08:35PM   Printer-friendly
from the independent-judiciary dept.
Digital Liberty Breaking News

An Anonymous Coward writes:

Earlier this week we read about the German Public Prosecutor opening up a treason investigation.

Within hours, the investigation was halted. And now the public prosecutor lost his job over it.

Looks like this Slashdot commenter foresaw accurately what would happen, based on a very similar past incident:

Also at the BBC and Deutsche Welle.

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  • (Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2015, @08:38PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2015, @08:38PM (#218096)

    Maybe YOU read about it earlier this week, but I didn't see any stories on it.

    • (Score: 3, Informative) by gman003 on Tuesday August 04 2015, @08:45PM

      by gman003 (4155) on Tuesday August 04 2015, @08:45PM (#218104)

      Not at Soylent at least - I was going to complain about having links to the Other Site's stories instead of ours, but apparently we never posted anything on this.

    • (Score: 2) by nyder on Tuesday August 04 2015, @09:38PM

      by nyder (4525) on Tuesday August 04 2015, @09:38PM (#218152)

      Not only did I read about, but the people clearly said this was going to happen.

      You want to lose your prosecutor job in Germany? Bring up treason charges against the press.

  • (Score: 2) by Lunix Nutcase on Tuesday August 04 2015, @08:44PM

    by Lunix Nutcase (3913) on Tuesday August 04 2015, @08:44PM (#218103)

    Hopefully that will be followed up by a subsequent criminal conviction?

  • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2015, @08:46PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2015, @08:46PM (#218105)

    Just your regular BS gamesmanship. From one of the article links:

    Media reaction in Germany

    The media outcry over the treason investigation started almost immediately. Süddeutsche Zeitung points out that treason is a very loaded word. The law behind it has in the past been used to go after political opponents.
    Die Welt says this case highlights unprofessionalism on all sides - calling it "silly season theatre". It says freedom of press, which many say was threatened, has been saved by an alliance of politics, media and society.
    But questions about the independence of justice - not a minor issue in a constitutional democracy - remain unanswered. Der Spiegel calls Tuesday's developments a rebellion by the prosecutor, which could only end in his sacking.
    Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung says like any scandal, somebody had to be blamed. The ministers for interior and justice were safe but a fight between Mr Range and the head of the intelligence service culminated in his attack on the justice minister - a move that might seem deliberately designed to provoke his sacking.

    Add to this the fact that the newspaper who is crying wolf is reaping the benefits of increased public donations as a result of the publicity.

    • (Score: 0, Disagree) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2015, @08:48PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2015, @08:48PM (#218110)

      "Hmmm. The coffers are running a little low. Quick! Stop the presses, I've got your lead story!":

      "HELP! HELP! I'M BEING OPPRESSED!"

    • (Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2015, @09:01PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2015, @09:01PM (#218129)

      > Add to this the fact that the newspaper who is crying wolf is reaping the benefits of increased public donations as a result of the publicity.

      Crying wolf? The prosecutor has been fired. This wasn't just a bullshit made up problem. And taking Die Welt's word on it is self-serving, they are ideologically aligned with the pro-state's secret crowd.

      • (Score: 0, Disagree) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 05 2015, @02:15AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 05 2015, @02:15AM (#218291)

        Maybe not a "bullshit made up problem", but a "let's cash in by milking this for all its worth provided we can build this molehill into a mountain" kind of problem.

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 05 2015, @06:05AM

          by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 05 2015, @06:05AM (#218357)

          Again, the guy was fired for doing it. You don't get fired for molehills.

  • (Score: 4, Insightful) by Refugee from beyond on Tuesday August 04 2015, @08:48PM

    by Refugee from beyond (2699) on Tuesday August 04 2015, @08:48PM (#218109)

    Could you please warn about links to Slashdot or something? *cough* Whenever I read “this commenter” I expect to remain on the site I'm reading. Or maybe it's just me.

    --
    Instantly better soylentnews: replace background on article and comment titles with #973131.

    • (Score: 1) by miljo on Tuesday August 04 2015, @08:56PM

      by miljo (5757) on Tuesday August 04 2015, @08:56PM (#218118) Journal

      Oh good. I was going to say the same thing but I haven't been here long enough to know whether or not blind linking to /. was actually as crappy as it felt.

      --
      One should strive to achieve, not sit in bitter regret.

    • (Score: 2) by Lunix Nutcase on Tuesday August 04 2015, @09:08PM

      by Lunix Nutcase (3913) on Tuesday August 04 2015, @09:08PM (#218130)

      That's a pretty tragic first-world problem you got there.

      • (Score: 1, Flamebait) by Refugee from beyond on Tuesday August 04 2015, @09:22PM

        by Refugee from beyond (2699) on Tuesday August 04 2015, @09:22PM (#218139)

        We've got plenty of problems here in Russia, including yours “first-world” ones.

        --
        Instantly better soylentnews: replace background on article and comment titles with #973131.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 05 2015, @05:02PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 05 2015, @05:02PM (#218641)

        That's a pretty tragic first-world problem you got there.

        That's a pretty obvious fallacy [wikipedia.org] you got there.

  • (Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2015, @08:53PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2015, @08:53PM (#218116)

    I don't get it.
    NSA can spy.
    german intelligence wants to do the same.
    bloger gets wind, blows the whistle and gets accused of treason.
    the accuser gets fired.
    -
    seems correct, but maybe the privacy eating gangrene should be amputated a bit more higher up, maybe above the neck, were normally "intelligence" is located?

  • (Score: 3, Funny) by wonkey_monkey on Tuesday August 04 2015, @09:26PM

    by wonkey_monkey (279) on Tuesday August 04 2015, @09:26PM (#218142) Homepage

    Hey, so you know that guy who did that thing? It turns out some other guy did some other thing.

    I know, right?

    --
    systemd is Roko's Basilisk