The US Department of Justice has subpoenaed several New York Times journalists to testify before a federal grand jury in Manhattan next week. The information was confirmed by the publication itself, which defines the authorities' actions as a serious escalation of the pressure on free speech. The subpoenas were served personally by federal agents at the homes of reporters Julian Barnes, Eric Lipton, Tyler Pager and Eric Schmidt.
The legal action was taken after their material revealed serious security concerns about the new presidential plane “Air Force One“, which was a gift from the government of Qatar. The journalists reported that, on the advice of the Secret Service, President Donald Trump used the older modified plane for his flight leaving Turkey. The reason was the lack of modern defense systems, including missile defense systems, on the new Qatari liner. The US National Press Center condemned the subpoenas and called for their immediate withdrawal, stating that they threaten citizens' constitutional right to an independent press.