Le Monde accuses Elysée of spying on reporter

President Nicolas Sarkozy’s embarrassment over an illegal party funding scandal deepened when Le Monde newspaper accused France’s intelligence agency of spying on one of its reporters at the orders of the Elysée palace.

Le Monde said on the 13 September 2010 that it intended to sue for breach of confidentiality of sources, claiming that the DCRI, the domestic intelligence service, had broken the law by probing the source of leaks relating to the so-called Bettencourt affair.

EUObserver, 14.9.10: Sarkozy government sued for spying on journalists http://euobserver.com/9/30793

Deutsche Welle, 14.9.10: Sarkozy accused of violating press freedom in Bettencourt leak probe http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,6002021,00.html

ESO: Background information: Minister pressed over Bettencourt scandal http://www.europeansources.info/record/minister-pressed-over-bettencourt-scandal/

BBC News, 14.9.10: Le Monde sues France President Nicolas Sarkozy's office http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11293028

France24, 14.9.10: Le Monde daily accuses Sarkozy office of 'spying' http://www.france24.com/en/20100913-le-monde-daily-files-legal-complaint-against-sarkozy-france-woerth-loreal-scandal

Le Monde, 14.9.10: Presidency accused of violating press freedom (via PressEurop) http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/news-brief-cover/338151-presidency-accused-violating-press-freedom

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