A US federal judge has ordered the Pentagon to fully restore access for accredited journalists, ruling that the Department of Defense was obstructing their work in violation of a previous court decision.
District Judge Paul Friedman, based in Washington, ruled that military authorities were violating a previous court order that granted the New York Times and other media outlets access restrictions imposed last year on the headquarters of the U.S. military.
In his ruling, the judge denounced a "blatant attempt to circumvent a lawful court order." He emphasized that the ministry could not reintroduce a policy deemed illegal under the guise of new measures.
The case highlights the persistent tensions between the administration and certain media outlets over access to information, particularly in sensitive institutions like the Pentagon.
The controversial restrictions had limited journalists' ability to cover the activities of the Ministry of Defence, raising concerns about transparency and press freedom.
Neither representatives of The New York Times, nor those of the Justice Department or the White House, immediately responded to the decision. The Pentagon, for its part, declined to comment, citing standard procedures regarding ongoing legal proceedings.
This judicial decision serves as a reminder of the role of the courts in protecting access to information and the work of the media, in a context where transparency issues remain at the heart of the democratic debate in the United States.
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