Civil society organizations presented orally to the UN Committee against Torture the contents of a report that details serious deficiencies and human rights violations in the Spanish State
A group of civil society entities, including the Centre per la Defensa dels Drets Humans, Iridia, the Asociación Libre de Abogadas y Abogados, ALA, l'Institut de Drets Humans de Catalunya or the Sir[a] Centre, among others, traveled to Geneva last Tuesday, July 18, to present orally to the United Nations Committee Against Torture the content of a shadow report, which includes serious deficiencies and human rights violations committed in the Spanish State.
The report is presented as part of the review that the Committee conducts periodically (every four years) of countries that have ratified the Convention against Torture. This week (July 20 and 21) it is Spain's turn, a state that ratified the convention in 1987. The report compiles violations of the Convention against Torture in various settings, such as borders, prisons, immigration detention centers, and public spaces; and in different areas such as historical memory, healthcare, and the use of force by the police.
Among the demands made by the organizations to the Spanish State are several that stand out, including: banning rubber bullets; implementing the full identification of all members of the State Security Forces; creating an independent and effective police oversight mechanism; supporting improved medical care for torture victims; ending mechanical restraints and prolonged isolation in prison; and promoting a comprehensive state policy on historical memory. The document also highlights the urgent need to respect human rights at the southern border and, therefore, to halt the summary returns that occur systematically at the border, and to investigate and hold accountable those responsible for the events of June 24, 2022, when, following actions by Spanish and Moroccan security forces in the border area, at least 470 people were summarily returned.
The signatory organizations call on the State to comply with the provisions of the Convention, resolving those legal and practical issues that lead to human rights violations and breach both this treaty and, in some cases, international law. The organizations hope that the body will take into account the recommendations and concerns raised in the report when it reviews the country on July 20, 2023.
