In early 2024, six Civil Guards assigned to Spain’s Ministry of the Interior were told to help build a dossier sorting journalists by their supposed political views. The order came from the minister’s communications team. The agents soon stopped the work, saying they doubted it was legal. Now the Ministry faces a court review.
The dossier listed 280 journalists and commentators. It paired political and work histories with photographs and notes about affiliations. Sources close to the team say the agents began the task but quickly raised concerns and told their superiors they would not continue. Within six months, all six were dismissed. Recent independent reports say the dossier ran to 54 pages and covered 281 profiles. It named journalists’ workplaces and labeled them with terms such as "afín al PSOE" and "anti-sanchista".
On April 29, 2025, just after a blackout in the department, the guards were told they were out. Their dismissals became official on May 5, as recorded in the Civil Guard’s bulletin. The Office of Institutional and Social Relations (ORIS), where the agents worked, was dissolved at the same time, and the six were sent to other commands. The overlap between their refusal and ORIS’s closure drew attention. Reports from El País and other Spanish outlets point to the Interior Ministry’s internal communications office, tied to Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska’s team, as the source of the dossier order.
The courts are now involved. Madrid’s Court of Instruction No. 16, led by Judge Margarita Valcarce, is deciding whether to open a formal probe into how the Ministry handled the dossier. The complaint, filed by Iustitia Europa, targets those responsible for the document’s creation and handling inside the Ministry and its communications office. The court has asked the public prosecutor for input before next. Legal analysts say the decision could set a new standard for how government profiling of journalists is treated under Spanish law.
If the investigation moves ahead, the six dismissed Civil Guards could become basic witnesses. Their testimony could identify who gave the order and explain the instructions and intended use of the information. They can also describe conditions inside the minister’s communications team and trace how the files were built through the agents’ refusal. Official documents announcing ORIS’s closure do not give a reason for it. It remains unclear whether the change was routine or a direct response to the scandal.
The Parliament of the Canary Islands has publicly condemned the creation of such lists and reaffirmed its support for press freedom, extending the controversy’s political impact beyond Madrid.
The dossier’s existence first surfaced in September, when El Confidencial revealed the internal 54-page file. It was produced under Nieves Goicoechea, who joined the Ministry at the end of 2023 and is soon to receive the Cross of Police Merit with white badge. The file detailed journalists’ careers and perceived political stances, with profiles of their work. The news has cast a shadow over the Ministry’s approach to media and data privacy. La Voz de Galicia reports that awarding Goicoechea a police honor during the scandal has fueled criticism in political and media circles.
The Ministry has not explained why ORIS was dissolved. The timeline suggests a direct link between the agents’ refusal and the office’s closure. The legal team behind the complaint is considering calling former ORIS staff as witnesses; they have unique understanding into how the unit operated and how the dossier was created. Updates from late September 2026 show the issue is still being debated. The use and handling of such internal documents inside government agencies remains under scrutiny.
Spain’s approach to sensitive data and official surveillance is under new scrutiny. The case echoes concerns raised in other recent incidents, such as the reported earlier about government alerts and public safety. The Interior Ministry’s move to classify journalists by ideology, followed by the removal of those who objected, exposes a real tension inside Spain’s security forces.
This episode highlights the thin line between legitimate security work and overreach. The six Civil Guards challenged an order they considered possibly unlawful, showing why internal resistance matters for democracy. As the court process unfolds, the Ministry’s actions will be judged under the law and for their impact on transparency and accountability in Spain’s public life.
