Andorra Government failed to answer David Castillo’s Cyprus request

The Government of Andorra failed to respond within the legal deadline to a public information request submitted by journalist David Castillo.

The request concerned an official reception attended by diplomatic representatives of Cyprus.

Andorra’s Citizen’s Ombudsman (Raonador del Ciutadà) has called out the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for failing to respond and has recommended that it issue express decisions on information requests.

The Ombudsman says administrative silence should not replace a reply that explains the reasons for a decision.

The case comes months after Castillo announced that he would file a complaint against Cyprus with the United Nations Human Rights Committee, alleging violations of his freedom of expression and freedom of the press.

The journalist, who directed the documentary Cyprus: The Divided Island, attributed the alleged violations to actions by the Cypriot embassy in Spain and the subsequent failure of Cyprus’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to respond.

On 12 January 2026, Castillo made public his intention to file the complaint. Two weeks later, on 28 January, he asked the Andorran Government for information about an official reception attended by Cypriot diplomatic representatives.

Castillo had to appeal to obtain some of the information

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not issue or notify a decision within the legal deadline. Castillo therefore filed a complaint with the National Commission for Access to and Evaluation of Documents (CNAAD).

The commission partially upheld his appeal and ordered the ministry to provide information on four points in the request. Castillo says that, despite the ruling, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has still not responded to him.

The journalist also brought the case to the Citizen’s Ombudsman. The office found that he had not received an express response within the deadline and had to appeal to the CNAAD to secure partial recognition of his right of access to information.

The Ombudsman notes that the law treats administrative silence as a rejection of a request, but says that this should not take the place of an express decision.

Without a decision, applicants are left without an explanation of the reasons behind it and may have to appeal to enforce their right to information.

The Ombudsman therefore concluded that the ministry’s handling of the request did not meet the standards of transparency and good administration.

Ombudsman calls for improvements to CNAAD decisions

The ruling also recommends that the CNAAD strengthen the formal and legal review of its decisions, particularly those that conclude the administrative appeals process.

The Ombudsman says decisions should avoid omissions, internal contradictions and incorrect legal references. It also recommends assessing in each case whether at least some of the requested information can be released.

Castillo had questioned the commission’s independence and apparent impartiality. However, the Ombudsman says there is no evidence that the CNAAD acted with bias in this case.

The office also found that the available data do not support the conclusion that administrative silence is widespread.

According to information provided by the Andorran Government, eight public information requests had been submitted in 2026: three were decided within the legal deadline, one was rejected through administrative silence, one was ruled inadmissible, one was withdrawn and two were still being processed. The average decision time reported was two months.

As for appeals to the CNAAD, one was filed in 2024 and partially upheld. No appeals were recorded in 2025. In 2026, one further appeal was filed and partially upheld. Castillo’s was the only complaint registered that year.

Alongside urging the Government to meet the legal deadlines, the Ombudsman recommends giving the public clearer information on how to exercise the right of access to information and what safeguards are available.

Finally, the Ombudsman recommends making the CNAAD’s independence safeguards and measures to prevent potential conflicts of interest more visible.