Credit: Reuters/Thomas Peter
German Chancellor Angela Merkel addresses a session of the Bundestag, the lower house of Parliament, at the Reichstag in Berlin June 4 , 2014.
Attorney General Harald Range told the legal affairs committee of parliament's lower house that legal proceedings would be opened against 'Unknown' for espionage, three people who took part in the meeting said.
Range is due to hold a news conference at 3 p.m. local time (1300 GMT) at his office in the southwest German city of Karlsruhe.
Justice Minister Heiko Maas told German radio earlier on Wednesday that investigators would 'have to take action' if it came to light that German law had been broken regarding Merkel's mobile phone or other surveillance revealed by Edward Snowden.
Former U.S. intelligence contractor Snowden has promised to bring new information to light, proving that Germans' rights were violated by American intelligence, if he is able to give evidence to a parliamentary committee investigating the matter.
Merkel's government has so far rejected bringing Snowden to Berlin to testify, fearing this would further damage relations with Washington that have suffered from revelations that the NSA tapped the chancellor's phone.
(Reporting by Thorsten Severin; Writing by Stephen Brown; Editing by Catherine Evans)
Entities 0 Name: Snowden Count: 2 1 Name: Merkel Count: 2 2 Name: Berlin Count: 2 3 Name: Parliament Count: 1 4 Name: NSA Count: 1 5 Name: Washington Count: 1 6 Name: Stephen Brown Count: 1 7 Name: Edward Snowden Count: 1 8 Name: Angela Merkel Count: 1 9 Name: Catherine Evans Count: 1 10 Name: Thorsten Severin Count: 1 11 Name: Harald Range Count: 1 12 Name: Heiko Maas Count: 1 13 Name: U.S. Count: 1 14 Name: Karlsruhe Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/1rIwqzt Title: Phone a friend? Yes, Angela Merkel Description: A political ally of German Chancellor Angela Merkel phoned her during a TV quiz show, hoping she could answer a question - but in vain. Twice Wolfgang Bosbach called during the show, but all he got was the chancellor's voicemail. He was a guest on a celebrity version of Who wants to be a Millionaire?
