Iustitia Europa has filed an urgent request asking Madrid’s Tribunal de Instancia number 16 to secure every digital trace linked to a secret Interior Ministry dossier listing journalists and media contacts. The group wants the court to preserve every version of the file, along with its edit logs, access records and related messages, before anything is lost or changed.
The case centers on a file called “Tertulianos. Radio y Televisión.” Reports say it was compiled inside the ministry led by Fernando Grande-Marlaska. The dossier contains profiles of journalists, covering their professional details and assessing their political views and attitudes toward the government. Several independent sources confirm that it included 281 profiles of 280 people, with photos and work histories, as well as notes on their relationship to the government. Iustitia Europa’s legal filing asks the court to freeze all digital evidence and establish who ordered and prepared the file, who reviewed or accessed it, and why.
The Interior Ministry has acknowledged the file’s origin and issued a public apology. It described the dossier as an internal consultation document and said there was no intent to restrict journalists’ work.
Iustitia Europa is also seeking a full forensic analysis of the original file and all its versions. The group wants to reconstruct the timeline, identify every author and editor, and trace the accounts and systems involved. The court has not yet accepted the complaint and is waiting for a report from the Fiscalía. Spanish media report that the case has moved to a formal stage. The presiding judge has said it concerns who was responsible for the “preparation, processing, storage, and possible use” of the document. The next steps depend on the prosecutor’s report.
Iustitia Europa has filed two resolutions from the Boletín Oficial de la Guardia Civil. The first shows that the ORIS-Ministerio del Interior unit, part of the Communication Office, was officially dissolved on May 1, 2025. The second names the six Guardia Civil officers who worked in the unit when it closed. Iustitia Europa wants them to testify about how the document was made and what orders were given, including who was in charge and who received or used the dossier. Independent reports also say the group is asking for the six to appear as witnesses and explain who gave the order, who edited the file and how it was used.
A source tied to the unit has told the court that some members knew how the dossier was handled, and that some may have objected to certain actions. The testimony could show whether officers were pressured or removed for refusing to take part in actions that violate democratic standards.
The Agencia Española de Protección de Datos has launched its own investigation. Several regional and national parliaments, along with civil society organizations, have publicly condemned compiling journalist lists with ideological assessments, citing risks to press freedom.
“As a former Guardia Civil and defender of press freedom, if officers were removed for refusing to take part in improper practices, we will pursue this to the end. And if ideological profiles of journalists were compiled by the Interior Ministry, someone must be held accountable,” said Luis María Pardo, president of Iustitia Europa.
The case reflects broader concerns about transparency and accountability in Spanish institutions. Recent events in Madrid, including the housing standoff in Puerta del Sol, have shown public demand for honest government and the protection of fundamental rights.
The focus is on digital evidence: tracing edits and access records, along with messages tied to the dossier. The court’s next move will test its resolve as Spanish authorities face questions about surveillance and press freedom, as well as the reach of state power. Iustitia Europa’s demands are clear and urgent. If the court acts quickly, it could set a new standard for handling sensitive digital records in political scandals. If it does not, the risk of lost evidence and impunity will grow.
