Secret defense documents over 50 years old will be declassified “from tomorrow,” announces the Elysee, following recommendations from historian Benjamin Stora.
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Emmanuel Macron decided to facilitate access to classified archives over 50 years old, in particular those on the Algerian war, as recommended by the report by historian Benjamin Stora.
The head of state “took the decision to allow the archives to proceed as of tomorrow (Wednesday) to declassifications of documents covered by National Defense secrecy (…) up to the files of the year 1970 included“, Indicates Tuesday the Elysee in a press release.
«This decision will significantly shorten the waiting times associated with the declassification procedure, particularly with regard to documents relating to the Algerian war.“, according to the text.
This announcement comes a week after the President’s recognition, “in the name of France”, that the lawyer and nationalist leader Ali Boumendjel had been “tortured and murdered” by the French army during the Algerian war in 1957.
Appeasement gestures
These appeasement gestures are recommended in the report submitted to the President on January 20 by Benjamin Stora with the aim of “reconciling memories” and “looking history in the face”.
The decision on the archives “shows that we are going very quickly”, underlines the Elysee.
But its scope goes beyond the framework of the History of Algeria and Mr. Macron “has heard the demands of the university community” who complains of the difficulties of access to classified archives over 50 years old due to the application. scrupulous of a circular on the protection of the secrecy of the national defense.
«The government has initiated legislative work to adjust the point of consistency between the heritage code and the penal code“In order to” reinforce the communicability of the rooms, without compromising national security and defense “, specifies the Elysee. With the aim of achieving a new device “before the summer of 2021”.
Opening of the colonial archives?
While welcoming the recent decisions taken by Mr. Macron, the Algerian authorities have been calling for years the opening of the colonial archives as well as the settlement of the question of the “disappeared” of the war of independence, more than 2,200 people according to Algiers, and that of the French nuclear tests in the Algerian Sahara.
«Symbolic gestures can only have impact if they are supported by citizen mobilizations on each of the issues: archives, nuclear tests, the missing“, Stressed in early March Benjamin Stora in an interview with the French-speaking daily El Watan.
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