TALLINN — Estonia’s Security Police initiated a misdemeanor investigation Wednesday of Minister of Justice Rein Lang for allegedly leaking classified material to a journalist.

Lang could get a fine up to 500,000 krooni (€32,100) or short-term incarceration for disclosing or enabling illegal access to state secrets, according to the State Secrets and Classified Information Act. However, Lang may end up with just a warning.

The State Prosecutor’s Office announced on April 8 that it finished the criminal investigation on leaking the state’s secret that was initiated on [private_supervisor]Sept. 23, 2009 based on a statement of Ministry of Foreign Affairs. However, no charges were made.

During the criminal investigation was found that Randel Lääts, secretary general of the Social Democratic Party called Postimees reporter Tuuli Koch on Sept. 22, 2009 and said that justice minister Rein Lang canceled the entry ban for Sergei Markov, when he was temporarily performing the duties of the minister of the interior. Sergei Markov is a pro-Kremlin political activist accused of taking part in the cyberattacks on the Estonian government’s online systems in 2007 after the Bronze Soldier incident.

Koch then heard from an unidentified source that in addition to Markov, another activist Vassili Jakemenko’s entry ban was about to be canceled. However that was not the case. After that, Koch called Lang who confirmed the reversal of Markov’s entry ban and an intent of doing the same with Jakemenko’s. Lang leaked classified information when he confirmed the information that the journalist already knew. Lang claimed he did not find it wrongful as he came to conclusion that the journalist already new the fact. However, the State Prosecutor’s Office does not share his opinion.

In the same evening of Sept. 22, 2009, Koch received a phone call from foreign ministry chancellor Marten Kokk who notified that Koch been disclosed classified material and Postimees should not publish it. However, Postimees published the article anyway.

The prosecutor did not find that Koch nor Postimees guilty as she was not aware she had holding state’s secret when she was writing it.

Denied

As Lang is on holidays, he posted a short comment to the media through the communication’s department insisting that he did not do anything wrong.

“I did not commit any misdemeanor,” said Lang.

Prime Minister Andrus Ansip stands behind Lang, also of the Reform Party, and said at a press conference Thursday that he will not punish Lang for leaking the state’s secret.

“As a prime minister I am not going to punish him, however it is interesting to see where this ridiculing Estonia will end up,” said Ansip. “The whole story in my opinion is just one big joke which does not have an end.”

Fallout?

The opposition has not made a statement on the investigation of Lang. It’s unclear how it will affect the parliamentary elections in March 2011.

Estonian political analyst Toomas Alatalu asserts that the investigation will have little impact.

“The election campaign has basically started, the Reform Party’s position is strong and … and other parties are busy with their own problems,” Alatalu told Baltic Reports.

Alatalu said the organizational problems embroiling the opposition parties make a direct attack on Lang unlikely. Also the misdemeanor is too small of a thing to cause Lang to step down. While the issue is a hot topic in the press now, coverage will eventually cool off. [/private_supervisor] [private_subscription 1 month]Sept. 23, 2009 based on a statement of Ministry of Foreign Affairs. However, no charges were made.

During the criminal investigation was found that Randel Lääts, secretary general of the Social Democratic Party called Postimees reporter Tuuli Koch on Sept. 22, 2009 and said that justice minister Rein Lang canceled the entry ban for Sergei Markov, when he was temporarily performing the duties of the minister of the interior. Sergei Markov is a pro-Kremlin political activist accused of taking part in the cyberattacks on the Estonian government’s online systems in 2007 after the Bronze Soldier incident.

Koch then heard from an unidentified source that in addition to Markov, another activist Vassili Jakemenko’s entry ban was about to be canceled. However that was not the case. After that, Koch called Lang who confirmed the reversal of Markov’s entry ban and an intent of doing the same with Jakemenko’s. Lang leaked classified information when he confirmed the information that the journalist already knew. Lang claimed he did not find it wrongful as he came to conclusion that the journalist already new the fact. However, the State Prosecutor’s Office does not share his opinion.

In the same evening of Sept. 22, 2009, Koch received a phone call from foreign ministry chancellor Marten Kokk who notified that Koch been disclosed classified material and Postimees should not publish it. However, Postimees published the article anyway.

The prosecutor did not find that Koch nor Postimees guilty as she was not aware she had holding state’s secret when she was writing it.

Denied

As Lang is on holidays, he posted a short comment to the media through the communication’s department insisting that he did not do anything wrong.

“I did not commit any misdemeanor,” said Lang.

Prime Minister Andrus Ansip stands behind Lang, also of the Reform Party, and said at a press conference Thursday that he will not punish Lang for leaking the state’s secret.

“As a prime minister I am not going to punish him, however it is interesting to see where this ridiculing Estonia will end up,” said Ansip. “The whole story in my opinion is just one big joke which does not have an end.”

Fallout?

The opposition has not made a statement on the investigation of Lang. It’s unclear how it will affect the parliamentary elections in March 2011.

Estonian political analyst Toomas Alatalu asserts that the investigation will have little impact.

“The election campaign has basically started, the Reform Party’s position is strong and … and other parties are busy with their own problems,” Alatalu told Baltic Reports.

Alatalu said the organizational problems embroiling the opposition parties make a direct attack on Lang unlikely. Also the misdemeanor is too small of a thing to cause Lang to step down. While the issue is a hot topic in the press now, coverage will eventually cool off. [/private_subscription 1 month] [private_subscription 4 months]Sept. 23, 2009 based on a statement of Ministry of Foreign Affairs. However, no charges were made.

During the criminal investigation was found that Randel Lääts, secretary general of the Social Democratic Party called Postimees reporter Tuuli Koch on Sept. 22, 2009 and said that justice minister Rein Lang canceled the entry ban for Sergei Markov, when he was temporarily performing the duties of the minister of the interior. Sergei Markov is a pro-Kremlin political activist accused of taking part in the cyberattacks on the Estonian government’s online systems in 2007 after the Bronze Soldier incident.

Koch then heard from an unidentified source that in addition to Markov, another activist Vassili Jakemenko’s entry ban was about to be canceled. However that was not the case. After that, Koch called Lang who confirmed the reversal of Markov’s entry ban and an intent of doing the same with Jakemenko’s. Lang leaked classified information when he confirmed the information that the journalist already knew. Lang claimed he did not find it wrongful as he came to conclusion that the journalist already new the fact. However, the State Prosecutor’s Office does not share his opinion.

In the same evening of Sept. 22, 2009, Koch received a phone call from foreign ministry chancellor Marten Kokk who notified that Koch been disclosed classified material and Postimees should not publish it. However, Postimees published the article anyway.

The prosecutor did not find that Koch nor Postimees guilty as she was not aware she had holding state’s secret when she was writing it.

Denied

As Lang is on holidays, he posted a short comment to the media through the communication’s department insisting that he did not do anything wrong.

“I did not commit any misdemeanor,” said Lang.

Prime Minister Andrus Ansip stands behind Lang, also of the Reform Party, and said at a press conference Thursday that he will not punish Lang for leaking the state’s secret.

“As a prime minister I am not going to punish him, however it is interesting to see where this ridiculing Estonia will end up,” said Ansip. “The whole story in my opinion is just one big joke which does not have an end.”

Fallout?

The opposition has not made a statement on the investigation of Lang. It’s unclear how it will affect the parliamentary elections in March 2011.

Estonian political analyst Toomas Alatalu asserts that the investigation will have little impact.

“The election campaign has basically started, the Reform Party’s position is strong and … and other parties are busy with their own problems,” Alatalu told Baltic Reports.

Alatalu said the organizational problems embroiling the opposition parties make a direct attack on Lang unlikely. Also the misdemeanor is too small of a thing to cause Lang to step down. While the issue is a hot topic in the press now, coverage will eventually cool off. [/private_subscription 4 months] [private_subscription 1 year]Sept. 23, 2009 based on a statement of Ministry of Foreign Affairs. However, no charges were made.

During the criminal investigation was found that Randel Lääts, secretary general of the Social Democratic Party called Postimees reporter Tuuli Koch on Sept. 22, 2009 and said that justice minister Rein Lang canceled the entry ban for Sergei Markov, when he was temporarily performing the duties of the minister of the interior. Sergei Markov is a pro-Kremlin political activist accused of taking part in the cyberattacks on the Estonian government’s online systems in 2007 after the Bronze Soldier incident.

Koch then heard from an unidentified source that in addition to Markov, another activist Vassili Jakemenko’s entry ban was about to be canceled. However that was not the case. After that, Koch called Lang who confirmed the reversal of Markov’s entry ban and an intent of doing the same with Jakemenko’s. Lang leaked classified information when he confirmed the information that the journalist already knew. Lang claimed he did not find it wrongful as he came to conclusion that the journalist already new the fact. However, the State Prosecutor’s Office does not share his opinion.

In the same evening of Sept. 22, 2009, Koch received a phone call from foreign ministry chancellor Marten Kokk who notified that Koch been disclosed classified material and Postimees should not publish it. However, Postimees published the article anyway.

The prosecutor did not find that Koch nor Postimees guilty as she was not aware she had holding state’s secret when she was writing it.

Denied

As Lang is on holidays, he posted a short comment to the media through the communication’s department insisting that he did not do anything wrong.

“I did not commit any misdemeanor,” said Lang.

Prime Minister Andrus Ansip stands behind Lang, also of the Reform Party, and said at a press conference Thursday that he will not punish Lang for leaking the state’s secret.

“As a prime minister I am not going to punish him, however it is interesting to see where this ridiculing Estonia will end up,” said Ansip. “The whole story in my opinion is just one big joke which does not have an end.”

Fallout?

The opposition has not made a statement on the investigation of Lang. It’s unclear how it will affect the parliamentary elections in March 2011.

Estonian political analyst Toomas Alatalu asserts that the investigation will have little impact.

“The election campaign has basically started, the Reform Party’s position is strong and … and other parties are busy with their own problems,” Alatalu told Baltic Reports.

Alatalu said the organizational problems embroiling the opposition parties make a direct attack on Lang unlikely. Also the misdemeanor is too small of a thing to cause Lang to step down. While the issue is a hot topic in the press now, coverage will eventually cool off. [/private_subscription 1 year]

— This is a paid article. To subscribe or extend your subscription, click here.