Finland's Supreme Administrative Court on Friday began proceedings over what is commonly known as the Tiitinen list, which allegedly contains the names of Finnish informants used by the Stasi, East Germany's state security ministry.

The court is to rule whether the Finnish Security Police (Supo) is to hand a copy of the list to a reporter who requested one.

In 2008, the Helsinki administrative court ordered Supo to disclose the list, with Supo appealing the ruling.

Supo has warned that making the list public would undermine national security, hurt relations with foreign intelligence organs and violate privacy.

Swedish-language daily Hufvudstadsbladet reported in its Friday issue that one of the names on the list was Riitta Juntunen, a spokeswoman at the Central Organisation of Trade Unions.

The Supreme Administrative Court ruled in 2003 that Supo did not have to disclose the list.

STT