German candidate's Stasi file stays sealed

BERLIN, Sept. 6 (UPI) -- A German court has ruled that the files kept on a left-wing politician by the secret police in East Germany should remain sealed.

Gregor Gysi was a lawyer in East Germany before unification and is now the major leader in the Left Party and a parliamentary candidate, Deutsche Welle reported.

Gysi argued that his file should not be published because it involves conversations with a former client, Robert Havemann, who was a dissident in East Germany. He says that he has a duty to preserve client confidentiality.

Gysi's detractors charge that he wants the files to remain under seal because he collaborated with the Stasi, or Staatssicherheit -- the secret police.

The court in Berlin granted a temporary injunction and will revisit the issue after the election.