BERLIN, Feb. 3 (UPI) -- A German computer club on Monday charged the government had cooperated with U.S. and British intelligence agencies in illegally spying on German citizens.
The complaint, filed with the Federal Prosecutor General's office, accused Chancellor Angela Merkel and the heads of German intelligence services of criminal violations of privacy and obstruction of justice, the Chaos Computer Club said in a statement.
"We accuse U.S., British and German secret agents, their supervisors, the German Minister of the Interior as well as the German Chancellor of illegal and prohibited covert intelligence activities, of aiding and abetting of those activities, of violation of the right to privacy and obstruction of justice in office by bearing and cooperating with the electronic surveillance of German citizens" by the U.S. National Security Agency and the British spy agency GCHQ, the statement said.
Alluding to numerous statements in recent months about mass surveillance activities, "we now have certainty" the intelligence services of Germany and other countries violated the law, the club said.
Because such violations are felonies under German criminal law, an investigation by the Federal Prosecutor General "is necessary and mandatory by law – and a matter of course," said Julius Mittenzwei, an attorney and member of the club.
The club also asked for former NSA contractor Edward Snowden to be called as a witness, saying he should be "provided safe passage and protection against extradition to the U.S."
The International League for Human Rights joined the club in filing the complaint, which will now be processed by the prosecutor's office, TheLocal.de reported.
