France allows access to ex-president Mitterrand's archives on Rwanda genocide

France’s top administrative court ruled on June 12 that a researcher, who was denied access to the presidential archives on genocide in Rwanda, can consult the archives. The State Council said in its ruling that the applicant, Francois Graner, can access the documents related to Rwanda genocide during the regime of former French President Francois Mitterrand.

The archives including the notes of President’s advisers and the minutes of meetings are covered under a protocol and can not be made public until 60 years after its signature. The State Council said that an advance consultation is, however, possible on the authorisation of the representative.

“The protection of state secrets must be weighed against the interest of informing the public about these historic events,” said the council.

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'Legitimate interest'

The Council of State said it considers that the researcher has a legitimate interest to consult these archives for his historical research and shed light on the question of public interest. The court also said that even if the documents in question contain sensitive information, it was authorised for previous research work, indicating that its content has already been accessed by some in the past.

The administrative court said that the authorisation to consult the archives before the completion of the 60-year window can be granted if it does not unduly infringe the secrecy of the deliberations of the executive power, foreign policy and the interests of the State, which the law intended to protect. The Council of State judges, after weighing upon the interests of the researcher and the public with those of the State, decided that the administration must allow the researcher to access these archives.

Read: Rwanda Finds Genocide Grave That Could Contain 30,000 Bodies