Overview

• The Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig upheld the BND's right to keep its analyses on the origins of COVID-19 classified.
• The court determined that public and national security interests outweigh the press's right to access the information.
• The BND argued that disclosure could compromise its operations and harm Germany's diplomatic relations, particularly with China.
• The press request sought details on the BND's knowledge of a potential lab origin for the virus and when it shared findings with government bodies.
• Media reports in March suggested the BND concluded in 2020 that a Wuhan lab accident was the most likely origin of the pandemic.