Federal agents executed a search warrant early on Wednesday (January 14) at the Virginia residence of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson as part of an investigation into a government contractor accused of illegally retaining classified government files. Natanson was home when FBI agents searched the residence and confiscated multiple electronic devices, including her cellphone, two laptops, and a Garmin watch. One laptop belonged to Natanson personally, while the other was issued by The Washington Post.&nbsp;According to investigators, Natanson is not considered a suspect in the case. The search warrant cited an investigation into Aurelio Perez-Lugones, a Maryland-based systems administrator with top-secret clearance. Authorities allege that Perez-Lugones accessed classified intelligence documents and stored them outside authorised facilities, including in his home and a lunch container, based on an FBI affidavit. Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed the search in a public statement, saying the Justice Department and FBI acted at the request of the Department of War. She accused the journalist of possessing and reporting classified information obtained unlawfully from a Pentagon contractor.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/state-department-freezes-immigrant-visas-from-75-countries-from-january-21-see-the-complete-list-here-1768405428584">State Department freezes immigrant visas from 75 countries from January 21. See the complete list here</a>&nbsp;Bondi stressed that the administration would take a hard line against leaks involving sensitive national security information, saying that such disclosures endanger both national safety and active-duty service members. Despite the rhetoric, Natanson has not been charged with any crime, and the criminal complaint against Perez-Lugones does not allege that he shared classified information with the media.<h2>Who is Hannah Natanson?</h2>Natanson reports on federal workforce issues and has played a key role in some of The Washington Post’s most consequential reporting during President Donald Trump’s second term. In December, she published a first-person essay describing how she built a vast network of federal employee sources by posting a secure contact number on an online forum. The effort led to communications with more than 1,000 government workers discussing internal disruptions across agencies.&nbsp;While journalists are sometimes questioned during leak investigations, searches of reporters’ homes are rare and considered an aggressive step by law enforcement standards. The FBI declined to comment on the matter.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/-european-farmers-out-on-the-streets-against-the-eu-mercosur-trade-deal-1768406754320/embed">https://www.wionews.com/videos/-european-farmers-out-on-the-streets-against-the-eu-mercosur-trade-deal-1768406754320/embed</a>&nbsp;The search follows Bondi’s April decision to roll back a Biden-era Justice Department policy that limited investigators’ ability to obtain reporters’ communication records. In an internal memo, Bondi argued that such protections allowed illegal disclosures to continue. Although she stated that subpoenas and searches involving journalists would be used only after other options failed, the warrant executed at Natanson’s home marked her first known contact with federal investigators.

FBI agents searched Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson’s home, seizing devices during an investigation into a contractor accused of illegaly retaining classified government files

Federal agents executed a search warrant early on Wednesday (January 14) at the Virginia residence of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson as part of an investigation into a government contractor accused of illegally retaining classified government files. Natanson was home when FBI agents searched the residence and confiscated multiple electronic devices, including her cellphone, two laptops, and a Garmin watch. One laptop belonged to Natanson personally, while the other was issued by The Washington Post. According to investigators, Natanson is not considered a suspect in the case. The search warrant cited an investigation into Aurelio Perez-Lugones, a Maryland-based systems administrator with top-secret clearance. Authorities allege that Perez-Lugones accessed classified intelligence documents and stored them outside authorised facilities, including in his home and a lunch container, based on an FBI affidavit. Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed the search in a public statement, saying the Justice Department and FBI acted at the request of the Department of War. She accused the journalist of possessing and reporting classified information obtained unlawfully from a Pentagon contractor. Also Read: State Department freezes immigrant visas from 75 countries from January 21. See the complete list here Bondi stressed that the administration would take a hard line against leaks involving sensitive national security information, saying that such disclosures endanger both national safety and active-duty service members. Despite the rhetoric, Natanson has not been charged with any crime, and the criminal complaint against Perez-Lugones does not allege that he shared classified information with the media. Who is Hannah Natanson? Natanson reports on federal workforce issues and has played a key role in some of The Washington Post’s most consequential reporting during President Donald Trump’s second term. In December, she published a first-person essay describing how she built a vast network of federal employee sources by posting a secure contact number on an online forum. The effort led to communications with more than 1,000 government workers discussing internal disruptions across agencies. While journalists are sometimes questioned during leak investigations, searches of reporters’ homes are rare and considered an aggressive step by law enforcement standards. The FBI declined to comment on the matter. https://www.wionews.com/videos/-european-farmers-out-on-the-streets-against-the-eu-mercosur-trade-deal-1768406754320/embed The search follows Bondi’s April decision to roll back a Biden-era Justice Department policy that limited investigators’ ability to obtain reporters’ communication records. In an internal memo, Bondi argued that such protections allowed illegal disclosures to continue. Although she stated that subpoenas and searches involving journalists would be used only after other options failed, the warrant executed at Natanson’s home marked her first known contact with federal investigators.

FBI agents searched Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson’s home, seizing devices during an investigation into a contractor accused of illegaly retaining classified government files

FBI searches home of Washington Post reporter, Hannah Natanson, over investigation of 'classified government materials'

Leaked super-secret documents from Germany's defence ministry outline a scenario where Russia goes to war with NATO. It envisages a step-by-step doomsday scenario on how Russian President Vladimir Putin could escalate the war in Ukraine to an even bigger battle in Europe.

Gravitas: Putin planning World War 3? Leaked documents from German MoD reveal NATO's worst nightmare

Leaked documents show that Andry Rajoelina obtained French nationality in 2014. It has caused a stir on the island. Many are seeing it as an act of betrayal. Why is that? Molly Gambhir tells you more.

Gravitas: Did Madagascar's president collude with ex-colonial power France?

The president of Madagascar is under fire when documents revealed that Andry Rajoelina is French. The revelation implies that he signed a contract with Paris in 2014 to get French citizenship.

Leaked documents show Madagascar's President to be partially French

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has come out and criticised the U.S. over its last month's intelligence leak. He says the White House did not inform Ukraine beforehand. What is happening between the two allies? Molly Gambhir reports.

Gravitas: Is all not well between U.S. & Ukraine?

FBI agents have arrested a national guardsman suspected of being behind a major leak of sensitive US Government secrets, including about the Ukraine war. Investigators are probing one of the most damaging leaks of classified information since the 2013 dump of national security agency documents by Edward Snowden.

U.S Air Force National Guard employee arrested | Embarrassing breach includes top secret documents

Three US officials told Reuters that Russia or pro-Russian elements are probably responsible for the leak of several classified U.S. military documents that were posted on social media and provide a partial, month-old snapshot of the conflict in Ukraine. Separately, the Justice Department said it was looking into the leak.

Leaked intel: Russia ready for peace talks but not defeat

The Xinjiang Police Files, a document that was stolen from internment camps in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), reveals the Chinese government's plot to commit crimes against Uyghurs and commit genocide. According to Radio Free Asia (RFA), the files contain information on more than 20,000 Uyghurs who are under detention. One of the documents is a speech given by Chen Quanguo in May 2017 while serving as the Chinese Communist Party's secretary for the XUAR from August 2016 to December 2021.&nbsp;

According to him, the Chinese government's campaign of repression in Xinjiang was not intended to purge the region of criminals but rather was a "extinction war" against the Uyghur people. His description of the Uyghurs as a "enemy class"

Chen discussed the Xinjiang government's campaign strategy, which included imprisoning Uyghurs and was overseen by Chinese President Xi Jinping.The documents state that Chen's instructions for his speech were based on orders given by China's national leadership.

The former official further stated that those detainees who were given sentences of less than five years should be mobilised for "learning law" and "bilingual learning," and that they should only be released once they had attained a sufficient study level, regardless of how long that took.

According to the former official, Uyghurs who were seen negatively by the Chinese government needed to receive education that would enable them to "totally remove themselves from such beliefs once they return to society."

Chen Quanguo referred to Uyghurs as "harmful" individuals in his address. Being "poisoned by terrorism, violence, and extremism" or having contact with outsiders is something the Chinese government takes into consideration. In what Chen referred to as a "people's war," Chen stated such individuals needed to be "treated."

According to information from the Xinjiang Police Files, other research studies, and released documents, Chen may have been referring to Uyghur customs and Islamic practises when he called them poison.

The widespread arbitrary detention of Uyghurs by the Chinese government and what Chen refers to as a "people's war," according to Ilshat Hassan Kokbore, a political analyst based in the United States and vice chairman of the executive committee of the World Uyghur Congress, amount to a declaration that the entire Uyghur population is the "enemy of the Chinese state."

Chen's speech also expanded official control over Uyghur households, which was a significant point. According to RFA, he believed that the police could only keep an eye on a small number of homes under the so-called "10 Families, One Ring" strategy, which left a gap in the surveillance of people who did not reside close to a police station. Beijing forced a "national language" on the Muslim ethnic minority of Uyghurs in order to bring about change in their communities and to mould their way of life into Chinese beliefs. The children might learn the Chinese national song and develop a love for Beijing and Tiananmen Square in just a few months, according to Chen.Only by doing this will we be able to inspire the future generation to support the party and be appreciative of it, according to Chen.

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The Xinjiang Police Files, a document that was stolen from internment camps in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), reveals the Chinese government's plot to commit crimes against Uyghurs and commit genocide.

The Xinjiang Police Files, a document that was stolen from internment camps in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), reveals the Chinese government's plot to commit crimes against Uyghurs and commit genocide. According to Radio Free Asia (RFA), the files contain information on more than 20,000 Uyghurs who are under detention. One of the documents is a speech given by Chen Quanguo in May 2017 while serving as the Chinese Communist Party's secretary for the XUAR from August 2016 to December 2021. According to him, the Chinese government's campaign of repression in Xinjiang was not intended to purge the region of criminals but rather was a "extinction war" against the Uyghur people. His description of the Uyghurs as a "enemy class" Chen discussed the Xinjiang government's campaign strategy, which included imprisoning Uyghurs and was overseen by Chinese President Xi Jinping.The documents state that Chen's instructions for his speech were based on orders given by China's national leadership. The former official further stated that those detainees who were given sentences of less than five years should be mobilised for "learning law" and "bilingual learning," and that they should only be released once they had attained a sufficient study level, regardless of how long that took. According to the former official, Uyghurs who were seen negatively by the Chinese government needed to receive education that would enable them to "totally remove themselves from such beliefs once they return to society." Chen Quanguo referred to Uyghurs as "harmful" individuals in his address. Being "poisoned by terrorism, violence, and extremism" or having contact with outsiders is something the Chinese government takes into consideration. In what Chen referred to as a "people's war," Chen stated such individuals needed to be "treated." According to information from the Xinjiang Police Files, other research studies, and released documents, Chen may have been referring to Uyghur customs and Islamic practises when he called them poison. The widespread arbitrary detention of Uyghurs by the Chinese government and what Chen refers to as a "people's war," according to Ilshat Hassan Kokbore, a political analyst based in the United States and vice chairman of the executive committee of the World Uyghur Congress, amount to a declaration that the entire Uyghur population is the "enemy of the Chinese state." Chen's speech also expanded official control over Uyghur households, which was a significant point. According to RFA, he believed that the police could only keep an eye on a small number of homes under the so-called "10 Families, One Ring" strategy, which left a gap in the surveillance of people who did not reside close to a police station. Beijing forced a "national language" on the Muslim ethnic minority of Uyghurs in order to bring about change in their communities and to mould their way of life into Chinese beliefs. The children might learn the Chinese national song and develop a love for Beijing and Tiananmen Square in just a few months, according to Chen.Only by doing this will we be able to inspire the future generation to support the party and be appreciative of it, according to Chen. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Leaked documents reveal China's plot to oppress the Uyghur Muslims

If some leaked documents are to be believed, 23,000 mice were mercilessly killed by Rutgers University in 2020. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Although mice are used for experimentation, killing numerous after deeming them unnecessary is brutal. &nbsp;

The university lost $1.15 million worth "research animals required for student or postdoc training", revealed a recently publicised document of the financial department of the university. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/star-dolphin-winter-of-dolphin-tale-fame-died-of-twisted-intestines-says-aquarium-429269" hreflang="en">Star dolphin Winter, of 'Dolphin Tale' fame, died of twisted intestines, says aquarium</a>

In the recently leaked documents, it is revealed that around 23,000 mice, which were meant for testing, were euthanised in 2020. The mice were killed over concerns of losses due to the pandemic. &nbsp;

As per the notes, the school was forced to "eliminate" 4,600 cages of mice in March 2020, with each cage containing an average of five mice. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/7-feet-long-python-takes-100-mile-ride-on-sailboat-along-florida-coast-in-us-429154" hreflang="en">7-feet-long python takes 100-mile ride on sailboat along Florida coast in US</a>

In 2020, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals alleged that a whistleblower presented them with "disturbing evidence" of the university ordering the suspension of "non-essential" research. It also included the killing of any animals involved in the cancelled experiments. &nbsp;

Rutgers Office of Research denied such claims when asked by the ‘Daily Targum’ about the disposal of animals. A spokesperson of the university later confirmed that the animals were euthanised but did not say how many. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

If some leaked documents are to be believed, 23,000 mice were mercilessly killed by Rutgers University in 2020. Although mice are used for experimentation, killing numerous after deeming them unnecessary is brutal.

If some leaked documents are to be believed, 23,000 mice were mercilessly killed by Rutgers University in 2020. Although mice are used for experimentation, killing numerous after deeming them unnecessary is brutal. The university lost $1.15 million worth "research animals required for student or postdoc training", revealed a recently publicised document of the financial department of the university. Also Read: Star dolphin Winter, of 'Dolphin Tale' fame, died of twisted intestines, says aquarium In the recently leaked documents, it is revealed that around 23,000 mice, which were meant for testing, were euthanised in 2020. The mice were killed over concerns of losses due to the pandemic. As per the notes, the school was forced to "eliminate" 4,600 cages of mice in March 2020, with each cage containing an average of five mice. Also Read: 7-feet-long python takes 100-mile ride on sailboat along Florida coast in US In 2020, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals alleged that a whistleblower presented them with "disturbing evidence" of the university ordering the suspension of "non-essential" research. It also included the killing of any animals involved in the cancelled experiments. Rutgers Office of Research denied such claims when asked by the ‘Daily Targum’ about the disposal of animals. A spokesperson of the university later confirmed that the animals were euthanised but did not say how many. (With inputs from agencies)

23,000 mice euthanised in 2020 by Rutgers University, reveal leaked documents

Coronavirus was first reported in late December 2019 in Wuhan's Hubei province in China. The deadly virus since then has infected more than 63.2 million people and led to over 1.47 million deaths around the world, according to John Hopkins University coronavirus resource centre. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinese-scientists-now-claim-coronavirus-originated-in-india-in-summer-2019-346039">Also read: Chinese scientists now claim coronavirus originated in India in summer 2019</a> 
 
Many reports in past have proved that China deliberately suppressed or destroyed evidence related to the coronavirus outbreak. Communist regime endangered other countries by silencing doctors and whistleblowers who spoke about the virus. If this was not enough, Beijing destroyed evidence of it in laboratories and also refused to provide live samples to international scientists who were working on a vaccine. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/coronavirus-spread-china-must-allow-global-probe-to-ascertain-origin-of-covid-19-291113">Also read: International survey shows China has lost international backing after the emergence of COVID-19</a> 
 
According to a report published in CNN, a document marked as "internal document, please keep confidential," local health authorities in the province of Hubei, where the virus was first detected, list a total of 5918 newly detected cases on February 10, more than double the official the public number of confirmed cases, breaking down the total into a variety of subcategories.

A whistleblower, who worked in the Chinese health care system, provided 117 pages of internal documents from the Hubei Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to CNN.&nbsp;

The files, which CNN had verified by six experts, showed how the region struggled to manage the coronavirus between October 2019 and April 2020 – a critical time period in which the virus spread from China to cause a worldwide pandemic.&nbsp;

There are many theories around the origin of the virus, from being leaked of the Wuhan virus Lab to many of them linking it to the wet market in Wuhan.

The reason for the origin of the virus remains unknown, though. Local health authorities initially thought the patients had fallen ill through exposure to common infection source in the market and ruled out the pathogen as contagious until January 20.

The Xi Jinping government has been rejecting&nbsp;accusations made by the United States and other Western governments that it deliberately concealed information relating to the virus, maintaining that it has been upfront since the beginning of the outbreak.

Should China be held accountable for mishandling the deadly virus at the initial stage, it is the answer that the world is looking for.

(With inputs from agencies)

Coronavirus was first reported in late December 2019 in Wuhan's Hubei province in China. The deadly virus since then has infected more than 63.2 million people and led to over 1.

Coronavirus was first reported in late December 2019 in Wuhan's Hubei province in China. The deadly virus since then has infected more than 63.2 million people and led to over 1.47 million deaths around the world, according to John Hopkins University coronavirus resource centre. Also read: Chinese scientists now claim coronavirus originated in India in summer 2019 Many reports in past have proved that China deliberately suppressed or destroyed evidence related to the coronavirus outbreak. Communist regime endangered other countries by silencing doctors and whistleblowers who spoke about the virus. If this was not enough, Beijing destroyed evidence of it in laboratories and also refused to provide live samples to international scientists who were working on a vaccine. Also read: International survey shows China has lost international backing after the emergence of COVID-19 According to a report published in CNN, a document marked as "internal document, please keep confidential," local health authorities in the province of Hubei, where the virus was first detected, list a total of 5918 newly detected cases on February 10, more than double the official the public number of confirmed cases, breaking down the total into a variety of subcategories. A whistleblower, who worked in the Chinese health care system, provided 117 pages of internal documents from the Hubei Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to CNN. The files, which CNN had verified by six experts, showed how the region struggled to manage the coronavirus between October 2019 and April 2020 – a critical time period in which the virus spread from China to cause a worldwide pandemic. There are many theories around the origin of the virus, from being leaked of the Wuhan virus Lab to many of them linking it to the wet market in Wuhan. The reason for the origin of the virus remains unknown, though. Local health authorities initially thought the patients had fallen ill through exposure to common infection source in the market and ruled out the pathogen as contagious until January 20. The Xi Jinping government has been rejecting accusations made by the United States and other Western governments that it deliberately concealed information relating to the virus, maintaining that it has been upfront since the beginning of the outbreak. Should China be held accountable for mishandling the deadly virus at the initial stage, it is the answer that the world is looking for. (With inputs from agencies)

Leaked documents show China bluntly lied about Covid-19 and mishandled early pandemic

A lawyer for a US&nbsp;Treasury Department employee charged with leaking to a journalist confidential documents on former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and others, said on Friday that his client was motivated by public service.

Manafort and his longtime associate Rick Gates have pleaded guilty to criminal charges and agreed to cooperate in US&nbsp;Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 US&nbsp;election and whether President Donald Trump's campaign coordinated with Moscow.

Russia denies election meddling and Trump denies campaign collusion.

Prosecutors said Natalie Sours Edwards, a senior adviser in the Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), leaked documents to a reporter that became the basis of articles about that investigation published by digital media company BuzzFeed.

"She saw things in her official capacity that she felt an obligation to bring forward," Marc Agnifilo, a lawyer for Sours Edwards, told reporters after a hearing in federal court in Manhattan.

During Friday's brief hearing, US&nbsp;Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn ordered that Sours Edwards may remain free on bail. She had previously pleaded not guilty at a hearing in Virginia, according to Agnifilo. She is currently on paid leave from her position.

Prosecutors said beginning in October 2017, Sours Edwards illegally disclosed so-called suspicious activity reports connected to Manafort, accused Russian agent Maria Butina, the Russian embassy and a unit of Prevezon Holdings Ltd, a corporation owned by Russian businessman Denis Katsyv.

Suspicious activity reports are submitted by banks to alert law enforcement to potentially illegal transactions.

Information from the disclosures was reported in 11 articles that appeared in BuzzFeed over the course of a year, prosecutors said.

Agnifilo said Sours Edwards shared the reports because "she believes that certain pieces of information were not being handled the right way and were not being brought to the attention of the people who should know it," though he did not give further details.

He said Sours Edwards had also spoken to committees in Congress and to other government agencies about her concerns, and that her contact with the media was a relatively small part of her efforts.

"It's been going on for several years," he said.

A lawyer for a US Treasury Department employee charged with leaking to a journalist confidential documents on former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and others, said on Friday that his client was motivated by public service.

A lawyer for a US Treasury Department employee charged with leaking to a journalist confidential documents on former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and others, said on Friday that his client was motivated by public service. Manafort and his longtime associate Rick Gates have pleaded guilty to criminal charges and agreed to cooperate in US Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 US election and whether President Donald Trump's campaign coordinated with Moscow. Russia denies election meddling and Trump denies campaign collusion. Prosecutors said Natalie Sours Edwards, a senior adviser in the Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), leaked documents to a reporter that became the basis of articles about that investigation published by digital media company BuzzFeed. "She saw things in her official capacity that she felt an obligation to bring forward," Marc Agnifilo, a lawyer for Sours Edwards, told reporters after a hearing in federal court in Manhattan. During Friday's brief hearing, US Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn ordered that Sours Edwards may remain free on bail. She had previously pleaded not guilty at a hearing in Virginia, according to Agnifilo. She is currently on paid leave from her position. Prosecutors said beginning in October 2017, Sours Edwards illegally disclosed so-called suspicious activity reports connected to Manafort, accused Russian agent Maria Butina, the Russian embassy and a unit of Prevezon Holdings Ltd, a corporation owned by Russian businessman Denis Katsyv. Suspicious activity reports are submitted by banks to alert law enforcement to potentially illegal transactions. Information from the disclosures was reported in 11 articles that appeared in BuzzFeed over the course of a year, prosecutors said. Agnifilo said Sours Edwards shared the reports because "she believes that certain pieces of information were not being handled the right way and were not being brought to the attention of the people who should know it," though he did not give further details. He said Sours Edwards had also spoken to committees in Congress and to other government agencies about her concerns, and that her contact with the media was a relatively small part of her efforts. "It's been going on for several years," he said.

US official felt 'obligation' to leak documents on Manafort, others: Lawyer

A Luxembourg court today handed out suspended sentences to the two former accounting firm employees who leaked data about Luxembourg&#39;s tax deals with large corporations, which gained prominence in the so-called &quot;LuxLeaks&quot; affair. 
 
Antoine Deltour and Raphael Halet, both French citizens and former employees of accounting firm PwC, received suspended sentences of 12 and nine months respectively. 
 
Deltour also received a fine of 1,500 euros ($1,665) while Halet was fined 1,000 euros. Both said they would appeal. 
 
French television journalist Edouard Perrin, who used the leaked data for a broadcast made in 2012, was acquitted of all charges. 
 
The case was seen as a delicate balancing act for the judge between upholding Luxembourg&#39;s strict secrecy laws and protecting whistleblowers. 
 
One of Deltour&#39;s lawyers William Bourdon called the verdict &quot;scandalous&quot;. The message of Luxembourg&#39;s justice system was for multinationals to &quot;sleep tight&quot;, he said. 
 
Outside of the court, Deltour was greeted by singing supporters. 
 
Over the course of the trial the court heard how Deltour had copied 45,000 pages of documents to which he gained access through a glitch in the company&#39;s servers, which had since been fixed. 
 
Prosecutors say this data and material supplied by Halet was used in the &#39;LuxLeaks&#39; revelations of November 2014 by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. 
 
The prosecutor had requested 18-month prison sentences and fines, far less than the five-year maximum for the charges that range from violating secrecy laws to theft and IT fraud. 
 
For Perrin the prosecutor had sought a fine, without specifying how high it should be. 
 
The leaked documents showed that companies such as PepsiCo, AIG and Deutsche Bank secured deals from Luxembourg to slash their tax bills. 
 
Luxembourg, a small country wedged in between France, Belgium and Germany, says other states have similar arrangements, and has offered to share details of the tax deals. 
 
(Reuters)

Antoine Deltour and Raphael Halet received suspended jail sentences for sharing data about Luxembourg slashing taxes for big corporations

A Luxembourg court today handed out suspended sentences to the two former accounting firm employees who leaked data about Luxembourg's tax deals with large corporations, which gained prominence in the so-called "LuxLeaks" affair. Antoine Deltour and Raphael Halet, both French citizens and former employees of accounting firm PwC, received suspended sentences of 12 and nine months respectively. Deltour also received a fine of 1,500 euros ($1,665) while Halet was fined 1,000 euros. Both said they would appeal. French television journalist Edouard Perrin, who used the leaked data for a broadcast made in 2012, was acquitted of all charges. The case was seen as a delicate balancing act for the judge between upholding Luxembourg's strict secrecy laws and protecting whistleblowers. One of Deltour's lawyers William Bourdon called the verdict "scandalous". The message of Luxembourg's justice system was for multinationals to "sleep tight", he said. Outside of the court, Deltour was greeted by singing supporters. Over the course of the trial the court heard how Deltour had copied 45,000 pages of documents to which he gained access through a glitch in the company's servers, which had since been fixed. Prosecutors say this data and material supplied by Halet was used in the 'LuxLeaks' revelations of November 2014 by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. The prosecutor had requested 18-month prison sentences and fines, far less than the five-year maximum for the charges that range from violating secrecy laws to theft and IT fraud. For Perrin the prosecutor had sought a fine, without specifying how high it should be. The leaked documents showed that companies such as PepsiCo, AIG and Deutsche Bank secured deals from Luxembourg to slash their tax bills. Luxembourg, a small country wedged in between France, Belgium and Germany, says other states have similar arrangements, and has offered to share details of the tax deals. (Reuters)

'LuxLeaks' whistleblowers given suspended prison sentences

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