France launches probe into US spy programme
Investigation was launched after complaints were made by two human rights groups.
Investigation was launched after complaints were made by two human rights groups. PHOTO: REUTERS
PARIS:
Paris prosecutors have launched an investigation into alleged US spying under the Prism programme following complaints by two human rights groups, sources close to the case said Wednesday.
An investigation was launched on July 16 into fraudulent access to personal data and personal correspondence following complaints by the International Federation of Human Rights and the League of Human Rights, they said.
Earlier, German news weekly Der Spiegel reported that the US National Security Agency broke the encryption securing the United Nations' internal video conferencing at its New York headquarters.
It said the NSA, which for months has been at the centre of revelations by intelligence leaker Edward Snowden, broke the encryption in the summer of 2012 and within nearly three weeks, had bumped up the number of decrypted communications from 12 to 458.
Snowden, wanted by the United States for revealing sensational details of its vast spying operations, flew into Russia from Hong Kong on June 23 and languished in the transit zone of the capital’s Sheremetyevo airport till he was granted temporary asylum in the country on August1.
The development seemed to have disrupted the ties between the two states with the Obama administration cancelling its September meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the issue.
Russia has continuously rejected US pleas to hand Snowden over to face criminal charges, including espionage.
Paris prosecutors have launched an investigation into alleged US spying under the Prism programme following complaints by two human rights groups, sources close to the case said Wednesday.
An investigation was launched on July 16 into fraudulent access to personal data and personal correspondence following complaints by the International Federation of Human Rights and the League of Human Rights, they said.
Earlier, German news weekly Der Spiegel reported that the US National Security Agency broke the encryption securing the United Nations' internal video conferencing at its New York headquarters.
It said the NSA, which for months has been at the centre of revelations by intelligence leaker Edward Snowden, broke the encryption in the summer of 2012 and within nearly three weeks, had bumped up the number of decrypted communications from 12 to 458.
Snowden, wanted by the United States for revealing sensational details of its vast spying operations, flew into Russia from Hong Kong on June 23 and languished in the transit zone of the capital’s Sheremetyevo airport till he was granted temporary asylum in the country on August1.
The development seemed to have disrupted the ties between the two states with the Obama administration cancelling its September meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the issue.
Russia has continuously rejected US pleas to hand Snowden over to face criminal charges, including espionage.