Press freedom campaign group Reporters Without Borders is going to become a joint plaintiff in the complaint which Le Monde filed yesterday alleging that presidential aides directly violated a new law protecting the secrecy of journalists’ sources by using a domestic intelligence agency to identify an official who was leaking information to the newspaper.
RWB has instructed its lawyer, Jean Martin, to arrange with the prosecutor-general’s office for it to be formally registered as co-plaintiff in the case, in which unnamed government officials are accused of various other criminal offences as well as violating the law on the secrecy of sources.
In its 13 September press release, RWB said violation of the law on the secrecy of sources by the Elysée Palace was unacceptable, especially as President Nicolas Sarkozy had personally supported its adoption. Urging parliament to appoint a commission of enquiry into the allegations, RWB deplored the “incomprehensible” war that the ruling majority seemed to be waging against investigative journalism.
In a 13 September article, Le Monde accused the Elysée Palace of using a domestic intelligence agency to identify an official who was leaking information about a judicial investigation into a case involving labour minister Eric Woerth and L’Oréal heiress Liliane Bettencourt.
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