A German
association promoting investigative journalism has awarded arms maker Heckler
& Koch with its "Closed Oyster" award. Netzwerk Recherche said
the firm had attempted to have spies follow critical journalists.
Deutsche Welle, 5 July 2015
Announcing
the award on Saturday, journalist Hauke Friederichs said that by awarding the
"Closed Oyster" Netzwerk Recherche was sending a signal for
transparency and freedom of access in media coverage.
In May, a defense ministry official was removed from his job after trying to get
Germany's Military Counterintelligence Service (MAD) to cover up negative
reports about H&K's G36 rifle, which is used by the Bundeswehr. The company
was said to have lobbied the government to do mobilize the spies.
Friederichs
said at the awards ceremony, "In the conflict zones of the world Heckler
& Koch is as well known as Daimler-Benz."
The new
chair of Netzwerk Recherche, Julia Stone, said, "It is well known that
Heckler & Koch is reluctant to answer questions of any kind and prefers to
speak through lawyers, and has even threatened journalists."
Stone
claimed Heckler & Koch had taken secrecy to a "new level."
Heckler & Koch CEO Andreas Heeschen rejected the allegations and said, "I
would like at this point to emphasize once again that we have at no time
discussed or demanded spying on journalists by the Military Counterintelligence
Service (MAD)."
Heckler
& Koch is one of the world's leading manufacturers of small arms including
pistols, submachine guns, assault rifles, precision rifles, and machine guns.
It employs about 650 people and supplies its weapons to NATO countries and also
to Egypt, Bahrain, Mexico, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
The
non-profit Netzwerk Recherche association was set up in 2001 by 35 journalists
to promote investigative journalism in Germany. It works with journalists to
aid their research, especially if officials impede the free flow of
information.
It is the
first time in the 13 years of awarding the "Closed Oyster" that the
prize has been given to an arms manufacturer.
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