German spy agency opens helpline for those exiled from Russia, China

FRANKFURT, Aug 20 (Reuters) - ‌People exiled in ​Germany ​under threat or attack from agents of their repressive home countries now have a ‌support line to call, courtesy of the country's ⁠domestic intelligence service.

Germany's BfV, the Office for the Protection of the ‌Constitution, on Thursday published ‌a brochure advertising a helpline for people who found refuge in Germany from authoritarian nations such as ​Russia, China or Iran.

Those people, who increasingly face intimidation, surveillance, repression or even abduction and assassination attempts, ⁠are encouraged to help the BfV in analysing repressive strategies and how ​to counter them.

The brochure, which addresses people under threat for being dissidents, journalists or members ​of the LGBTQ community, even ‌offers hope that the BfV can thwart the specific threats a caller is facing.

"Through ⁠both its own investigations and information provided by the individuals concerned, the domestic intelligence service is able to track down ⁠those responsible," a section in the 16-page brochure reads.

The outreach comes ​as Berlin seeks to grant intelligence services new powers to hack communications and disrupt foreign adversaries' operations to counter what officials ‌have described as a growing threat from cyber and hybrid attacks.

The measures, which ‌have been under discussion for months, would give the ⁠BfV, as well as ‌the foreign intelligence service ​BND, broader authority to collect data and thwart attacks.

(Reporting by Ludwig Burger; Editing by David ‌Holmes)

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