UN rights body condemns Spain for arbitrary trials of former judge Baltasar Garzon
The UN Human Rights Committee ruled Thursday that the proceedings against former Spanish judge Baltasar Garzon in the Franco and Gurtel cases were arbitrary. It also observed that the two trials violated the principles of impartiality and judicial independence. In 2010, Spain’s General Council of the Judiciary suspended investigating judge Baltasar Garzon in furtherance of [...]
Spain protesters gather in Madrid to challenge pardon of Catalan separatists
A crowd of 60,000 Spaniards took the streets of Madrid Sunday in order to protest the government’s pardon of 12 Catalan separatist politicians who led the 2017 unilateral independence movement. The demonstrators in attendance mainly came from the far-right populist party Vox, while representatives from the conservative popular and center-right parties were also present together [...]
The Spanish Democratic Memory Law: Theory and Implementation
“All narrative of the past implies a selection. Memory is selective; complete memory is impossible.” – Elizabeth Jelin In September 2020, the Spanish Government introduced the “Democratic Memory Law” through its Democratic Memory Act (“The Act”), which is an extension of the Historical Memory Act of 2007 to honor the victims of General Francisco Franco’s [...]
Spain doctor in Franco-era abduction case found guilty but immune from sentencing
A Madrid court on Monday found Dr. Eduardo Vela, a gynecologist during the rule of Spanish dictator Francisco Franco, guilty of abducting a child in 1969 but found that the 85-year-old’s crime fell beyond the statute of limitations, sparing him from sentencing. The Madrid Provincial Court agreed in June to hear the case of Ines [...]
Spain court refuses request to exhume body of Francisco Franco
Spain's Supreme Court dismissed a petition on Tuesday that sought to exhume the body of former dictator Francisco Franco and move the remains to a different location. Baltasar Garzón, a former judge, proposed to...
Argentina court convicts military officers of human rights violations during dictatorship
An Argentine federal court concluded a human rights trial on Thursday against military officers during the dictatorship era. The court in Córdoba, Argentina, acquitted five defendants and sentenced 28 to life and 10 to between...
The Supreme Court of Argentina confirmed Saturday the extradition of a US fugitive wanted for a 2002 murder in Colorado. Kurt Sonnenfeld, a former Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) cameraman and 9/11 conspiracy theorist, fled...
Argentina judge asks Spain to extradite 20 Franco-era officials
A federal judge in Argentina on Friday requested that Spain arrest and extradite 20 former Spanish officials suspected of human rights violations during the dictatorship of Francisco Franco . The judge, Maria Servini de Cubria, said she is...
Spanish lawmakers on Thursday approved controversial new legal protections for former king Juan Carlos after he lost his total immunity when he abdicated the throne last week. After leaving the throne for his heir, King...
Spain drafts constitutional law to facilitate royal succession
The Spanish government on Tuesday approved a draft constitutional law that will facilitate the abdication of King Juan Carlos I. Spain's Council of Ministers submitted the proposed law to parliament, requesting that the House and Senate vote...
