Mexico mayor-elect assassinated amidst surge in political violence
A mayor-elect was shot and killed on Monday in the southern Mexcian state of Guerrero, according to a statement by the State Prosecutor’s office. Salvador Villalva Flores, returning from a trip to Mexico City, was traveling on the highway on the bus when he was fatally shot in the town of San Pedro de las [...]
A UN Human Rights Committee on Follow-Up Rapporteur Friday published findings that Spain failed to implement a landmark United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) decision in the Baltasar Garzón v Spain case. The report was sent directly to Garzón’s international legal representative, Helen Duffy, of Human Rights in Practice. Speaking on the report, Human Rights in [...]
Spain ombudsman to investigate migrant deaths off the North African coast
The Spanish Ombudsman initiated an ex offcio action on Friday in relation to a rubber boat carrying migrants capsized 40 miles off the coast of Morocco on June 21st. The rubber boat was carrying 60 people, including children, heading to the Canary Islands and resulted in the death of more than 30 migrants. The Canary [...]
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 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 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...
Chile court ends 10-year Pinochet embezzlement investigation
A Chilean court on Friday said that it has completed the 10-year investigation into the origin of former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet's fortune and his suspected embezzlement of public funds. In an unanimous decision,...
UN rights expert urges Spain to ensure justice for Franco era abuses
The UN international expert on transitional justice Pablo de Greiff on Wednesday, urged Spanish authorities to trust their democracy and "not postpone measures for justice, truth and reparation for the victims of human rights violations" committed during...
Spanish officials on Wednesday told the UN that they will not reexamine the state's action during the 1936-39 Spanish Civil War and the Franco era. In 1977, Spain enacted a law that granted amnesty for political crimes...
Spain accused of ignoring disappearances during Franco regime
Amnesty International (AI) called on Spanish authorities Tuesday to address the legacy of Franco era disappearances , calling the failure to do so a "betrayal of justice." AI submitted a report to the UN Committee...
