Business Day has been ordered to pay the costs of a National Intelligence Agency (NIA) application to block publication of a sensitive document, Intelligence Services Minister Ronnie Kasrils said, according to a report on iol.co.za.

He said in a statement the Johannesburg High Court ordered Business Day not to publicise the document or any part of it.

It also ordered that no other person was entitled to possession of the document or to publicise its contents without the NIA's authority and permission.

Welcoming the finding, Kasrils said that although it was important for the public to have access to state information and the right to media freedom, there were clear constitutional and legal requirements concerning classified state information.

"The intention of Business Day to publish classified information is highly unacceptable and unheard of in democracies anywhere in the world," he said.

Click here to read the full report, posted on iol.co.za.