French intelligence raids military historian Romain Choron amid archive access crackdown

In an unusual operation, DGSI officers entered the Paris home and the Saint-Cyr-Coëtquidan office of Commandant Romain Choron, the chief of the academy's military history department. The five-hour search resulted in the confiscation of his computers, books and documents, which were placed under seal. Authorities accused him of a grave offence involving the defence secret, prompting a parallel nine-hour search of his Paris apartment.

The raid took place amid a broader governmental effort to restrict access to classified military records, particularly those related to the Algerian War, contrary to earlier openness promises. Choron was later acquitted of the alleged breach, but the incident stalled his promotion to lieutenant-colonel. He now suggests he was used as a scapegoat in the state's push to regain control over the archives.