Spain Plans Automatic Declassification of Franco-Era Documents

The Spanish government has introduced a draft law to automatically declassify all classified documents older than 45 years, including those from Francisco Franco's dictatorship and the subsequent transition to democracy. This reform will replace the 1968 Official Secrets Law from the Franco era and aligns Spain’s transparency standards with those of the European Union and NATO. The law prohibits classification of information related to serious human rights violations or crimes against humanity, aiming to shed light on abuses during Franco's regime and to provide greater historical transparency. Documents will remain classified only if their release poses a proven threat to national security, with strict justification and annual renewal required. The declassification applies to documents prior to 1981, with varied time limits for different classification levels, such as up to 60 years for highly classified files and shorter periods for others. Human rights groups have welcomed the legislation, viewing it as a long-awaited step toward uncovering truth and justice regarding Spain’s past authoritarian rule.