Vatican prosecutors are resisting a judge’s order to turn over recordings of statements by key witnesses in the financial-crimes trial. The prosecutors justify withholding the evidence by saying that leaked copies of the recordings could damage the reputations of people involved—a clear indication that the Vatican prosecutors fear the defendants would use the material to escalate a public-relations campaign as the high-profile trial continues.

The prosecutors’ bid to withhold evidence from the defense team is likely to sharpen criticism of the Vatican’s judicial system, which has been faulted for failing to secure the due-process rights of defendants in criminal trials.