German PM: Stop Int'l Spying (re: Kennedy, et al)
jason | 02.11.2011 12:34
Following upon the recent Guardian articles over spying, there is more discussion and official questions in the German Parliament. It is still a hot case that Mark Kennedy broke the law by starting a fire at a demo in Berlin, and was arrested under the name Mark Stone. He apparently lied to the German police about his real name, which is a scandal here in Germany.
NEW INFO:
There are still international cases running against activists which may have had involvement of Mark Kennedy. There are also activists sitting in prison outside the UK, where Mark Kennedy may have been working undercover at the time.
Many events related to UK police spies are directly relevant to us activists outside UK, for example, in the 22 or so countries where Kennedy also spied on us. If you have any info on international spying of UK undercover cops that could help us, please contact either myself or the office of MP Hunko.
Thanks and much solidarity,
Jason
Below is a press release issued today by German MP Andrej Hunko
**********
Expose German underhand activities in connection with cross-border police spying!
"The Federal Criminal Police Office is pressing ahead with the international exchange of police spies, including within social movements, despite all the criticism expressed. This makes the underhand activities of German and British police spies impossible to scrutinise", warned Member of the Bundestag Andrej Hunko, in reaction to the answer provided by the German Federal Government to his Minor Interpellation, entitled "new information about internationally active police spies".
In this answer, the Federal Government refers to "international cooperation which has become intensive". At the 2007 G8 Summit alone, apparently, a "considerable number of foreign police officers and confidential informants" were deployed. However, the Federal Government failed to provide concrete information on the spying by a school student from Switzerland, who was also sent to Heiligendamm.
Andrej Hunko continued:
"At least the numerous incidents of unmasking have led to considerable unease amongst internationally active police spies. In this context, the Federal Criminal Police Office provided in-depth information to the informal "Cooperation Group on Undercover Activities (ECG)" concerning the British police officer Mark Kennedy, whose cover had been blown.
Germany can undoubtedly be regarded as a driving force in cross-border police spying: at the last meeting of the ECG, which meets secretly, the German Interior Ministry gave a total of four presentations. At the same time, initiatives at international level are being dovetailed with the work of a "Federation-Länder working group" established by the German Conference of Interior Ministers - which has already presented proposals.
Yet the goal is not to initiate proceedings under civil and criminal law to sanction the dubious activities of the undercover officers, who, amongst other things, entered into sexual relationships with those they were observing and maintained their false identities in dealings with the judicial authorities.
On the contrary: the Federal Government states that "criminal proceedings have already taken place" regarding those "activities of Mr Kennedy or Mr Stone of relevance under criminal law". Yet this ignores the fact that a Berlin public prosecutor was deceived in prosecution proceedings in an arson case: he was unaware that he was dealing with a police officer.
According to the Federal Government, discussions have also taken place at national and international level on "developments in the field of biometric data". A scientific study recently analysed the link between biometric data and undercover investigations: according to the study, biometric-based applications to search for images on the Internet will soon be so far developed that it will be easier to expose the false identity of police spies.
However, instead of relying on technical tools to blow the cover of undercover investigators, I call for an immediate end to the international infiltration of social movements."
The Federal Government's answer to the Minor Interpellation can be downloaded at:
http://www.andrej-hunko.de/start/downloads/doc_download/165-antwort-der-bundesregierung-auf-die-ka-qneue-erkenntnisse-ueber-international-agierende-spitzelq (in German only)
____________________
Andrej Hunko
Mitglied des Bundestages
Fraktion DIE LINKE
Platz der Republik 1
11011 Berlin
Tel: 030 227-79131
Fax: 030 227-76133
www.andrej-hunko.de
www.linksfraktion.de
There are still international cases running against activists which may have had involvement of Mark Kennedy. There are also activists sitting in prison outside the UK, where Mark Kennedy may have been working undercover at the time.
Many events related to UK police spies are directly relevant to us activists outside UK, for example, in the 22 or so countries where Kennedy also spied on us. If you have any info on international spying of UK undercover cops that could help us, please contact either myself or the office of MP Hunko.
Thanks and much solidarity,
Jason
Below is a press release issued today by German MP Andrej Hunko
**********
Expose German underhand activities in connection with cross-border police spying!
"The Federal Criminal Police Office is pressing ahead with the international exchange of police spies, including within social movements, despite all the criticism expressed. This makes the underhand activities of German and British police spies impossible to scrutinise", warned Member of the Bundestag Andrej Hunko, in reaction to the answer provided by the German Federal Government to his Minor Interpellation, entitled "new information about internationally active police spies".
In this answer, the Federal Government refers to "international cooperation which has become intensive". At the 2007 G8 Summit alone, apparently, a "considerable number of foreign police officers and confidential informants" were deployed. However, the Federal Government failed to provide concrete information on the spying by a school student from Switzerland, who was also sent to Heiligendamm.
Andrej Hunko continued:
"At least the numerous incidents of unmasking have led to considerable unease amongst internationally active police spies. In this context, the Federal Criminal Police Office provided in-depth information to the informal "Cooperation Group on Undercover Activities (ECG)" concerning the British police officer Mark Kennedy, whose cover had been blown.
Germany can undoubtedly be regarded as a driving force in cross-border police spying: at the last meeting of the ECG, which meets secretly, the German Interior Ministry gave a total of four presentations. At the same time, initiatives at international level are being dovetailed with the work of a "Federation-Länder working group" established by the German Conference of Interior Ministers - which has already presented proposals.
Yet the goal is not to initiate proceedings under civil and criminal law to sanction the dubious activities of the undercover officers, who, amongst other things, entered into sexual relationships with those they were observing and maintained their false identities in dealings with the judicial authorities.
On the contrary: the Federal Government states that "criminal proceedings have already taken place" regarding those "activities of Mr Kennedy or Mr Stone of relevance under criminal law". Yet this ignores the fact that a Berlin public prosecutor was deceived in prosecution proceedings in an arson case: he was unaware that he was dealing with a police officer.
According to the Federal Government, discussions have also taken place at national and international level on "developments in the field of biometric data". A scientific study recently analysed the link between biometric data and undercover investigations: according to the study, biometric-based applications to search for images on the Internet will soon be so far developed that it will be easier to expose the false identity of police spies.
However, instead of relying on technical tools to blow the cover of undercover investigators, I call for an immediate end to the international infiltration of social movements."
The Federal Government's answer to the Minor Interpellation can be downloaded at:
http://www.andrej-hunko.de/start/downloads/doc_download/165-antwort-der-bundesregierung-auf-die-ka-qneue-erkenntnisse-ueber-international-agierende-spitzelq (in German only) ____________________
Andrej Hunko
Mitglied des Bundestages
Fraktion DIE LINKE
Platz der Republik 1
11011 Berlin
Tel: 030 227-79131
Fax: 030 227-76133
www.andrej-hunko.de
www.linksfraktion.de
jason
Homepage:
www.blackhelmetproductions.net