Gazette waits to find out if its reporters were surveilled
The Montreal Gazette is demanding the city’s police force come clean about whether it is spying on its reporters.
Gazette city editor Louise Solomita sent an email addressed to Montreal police Chief Philippe Pichet on Nov. 2 asking whether any reporters had been spied upon, their conversations recorded or their movements tracked.
“In light of the recent revelations, I would like to formally inquire whether the phones of any Montreal Gazette journalists are currently under surveillance by the Montreal police, whether they have been so in the last five years, and whether there are any pending requests for warrants to monitor the phones of any Montreal Gazette journalists,” Solomita wrote. “If the answer is yes to any of these questions, please supply the name(s) of the journalist(s) in question. I would appreciate a quick response.”
A response from police dated Nov. 3 said that at the request of Pichet, “internal verifications are currently underway. As a result, we will communicate the results of our research once these verifications are done.” The letter went on to refer to the law on access to information, which requires a response within 30 days.
Montreal Gazette lawyer Mark Bantey wrote back on Nov. 4 asking for an immediate response.
“My client did not make a request for access to documents, but asked simply for a confirmation to know if one of its reporters was the subject of surveillance on the part of Montreal police,” Bantey wrote back. “By refusing to give this information, you keep my client in a state of uncertainty as to whether its fundamental rights and the rights of its journalists for privacy were violated. We insist on an immediate response from Montreal police.”
No response has yet been given.