Aim for human rights in Spanish media on disappearances during Franco

The Spanish Judge Baltasar Garzón received much attention from the media in the last weeks. The reason was his decision to investigate Franco and his highest ranks officials for crimes committed between 1936 and 1951 and to clarify the disappearance of more than 114,000 people. The Spanish media reported that the prosecutor’s office has appealed Garzon’s decision before the Criminal Court on the grounds that an investigation of this magnitude would inevitably end up in a general inquisition, which is forbidden in the Spanish Constitution. Aim for human rights has been closely following these developments, and was surprised to see that the International Convention for the Protection against Enforced Disappearances has not or hardly been brought into the discussion at all. Therefore, we sent a press release to the Spanish media, which was picked up by various media.

Aim for human rights states that Spain has signed the convention against disappearances, which means there is a promise to ratify and implement it. Once this convention is ratified, Spain will be obliged to create a legislation that penalises enforced disappearances. If this case is closed now, it could be opened again as soon as the convention is ratified and implemented. With this press release, Aim for human rights’ programme Linking Solidarity, wants to bring to attention this commitment, and remind that according to this Convention the crime of enforced disappearances continues until the victims are found, identified and returned to their families.

Download the press release (Word, Spanish)