MADRID, Oct 27 (Reuters) – A Spanish judge investigating July’s mass migrant crossing into Ceuta from Morocco told the government on Tuesday to declassify further intelligence documents and reports related to the deadly border rush, a court ruling showed.
High Court Judge Maria Tardon is probing what Spanish authorities knew in advance about the crossing, how that intelligence was handled and whether officials failed to act on warnings. She gave the cabinet 15 days to comply.
• The case centres on one of the deadliest migrant incidents at a European Union border in recent years and has become a test of accountability over how Spain and Morocco managed migration flows at Europe’s southern frontier
• At least 72,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into Ceuta on July 30, with 82 deaths confirmed on the Spanish side and 14 more in Morocco, Reuters previously reported
• The cabinet already declassified 40 intelligence documents on September 8, including notes from domestic intelligence agency CNI and WhatsApp messages involving government officials. The released documents showed that the spy agency warned both Moroccan counterparts and Spanish authorities of plans to storm Ceuta
• Tardon requested declassification of all notes and reports produced by the CNI after July 30 concerning the border surge and Morocco’s role, including classified reports on Moroccan authorities’ conduct
• The judge also sought the full recipient list for two already-declassified CNI intelligence notes dated July 27 and July 30, with timestamps confirming their delivery
(Reporting by Emma Pinedo; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)
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