German police have arrested two men on suspicion they were spying on Syrian opposition groups in Germany.
Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle summoned the Syrian ambassador to tell him that such activities will not be tolerated.
"We will make it crystal clear to the Syrian authorities one more time that advances against Syrian opposition members in Germany will not be tolerated by us and that it is illegal," Westerwelle said. "That's why I summoned the Syrian ambassador to the Foreign Ministry again today."
Prosecutors said the two men arrested on February 7 -- a 34-year-old Syrian identified only as Mahmoud el A. and a 47-year-old German-Lebanese dual national, Akram O., -- are suspected of "having spied over several years on Syrian opposition figures in Germany."
The development comes with diplomatic tensions especially high as European and Gulf states withdraw their ambassadors to Damascus and Russia seeks to defuse the situation.
Compiled from agency reports
Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle summoned the Syrian ambassador to tell him that such activities will not be tolerated.
"We will make it crystal clear to the Syrian authorities one more time that advances against Syrian opposition members in Germany will not be tolerated by us and that it is illegal," Westerwelle said. "That's why I summoned the Syrian ambassador to the Foreign Ministry again today."
Prosecutors said the two men arrested on February 7 -- a 34-year-old Syrian identified only as Mahmoud el A. and a 47-year-old German-Lebanese dual national, Akram O., -- are suspected of "having spied over several years on Syrian opposition figures in Germany."
The development comes with diplomatic tensions especially high as European and Gulf states withdraw their ambassadors to Damascus and Russia seeks to defuse the situation.
Compiled from agency reports
