Overview
- The Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig ruled Friday that the Bundesnachrichtendienst may withhold or redact 1960 files and dismissed journalist Gaby Weber's suit.
- The court found lawful a Bundeskanzleramt 'Sperrerklärung' that blocks release because the records could reveal intelligence working methods and contain sensitive personal data.
- Judges said parts of the files were exchanged with foreign services under confidentiality and cannot be published without those partners' consent.
- The case also covered other 1960 BND material, including reports on US nuclear tests in Argentina and a Paris disarmament summit, which the court said pose similar secrecy concerns.
- The decision cements a legal barrier to full archival access for historians and journalists and may force researchers to seek third‑party permissions or rely on limited prior releases from 2011 and rulings from 2013.