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Paris Court of Appeal Orders Restart of Investigations into Disclose Sources

The order opens the way to renewed questioning of reporters, with a re-examination of whether the state has overused national-defence secrecy.

Une pancarte "Journaliste arrêtée, démocratie en danger" lors d'un rassemblement, le 17 janvier 2023 à Paris, en soutien à la journaliste Ariane Lavrilleux, convoquée au tribunal de Paris pour ses travaux publiés par le média Disclose sur les liens entre une opération de renseignement française et l'Égypte

Overview

  • The Paris Court of Appeal on July 8 overturned an earlier October 2025 order and sent the inquiry into Disclose's sources back to judges of instruction for renewed investigation.
  • The move could lead to fresh auditions of journalists who co-signed Disclose articles and to a re-opening of the legal exposure for Ariane Lavrilleux, who had benefited from a non-lieu.
  • Disclose and Reporters Without Borders have called for mobilization, saying the court decision revives a pattern of pressure that may intimidate whistleblowers and chill reporting on military and arms issues.
  • Journalists involved say the case already featured intrusive measures including a 2023 raid, pretrial custody, alleged DGSI searches, tailing and geolocation of a reporter, which critics say amount to a hunt for sources.
  • Prosecutors appealed earlier decisions arguing the balance between press freedom and secrecy needed review, and the renewed probe will re-open questions about possible overclassification of defence material and the scope of criminal secrecy rules.