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Spain: Torture and extradition

01 January 1996

The practice of torture by the Spanish police has once again became the subject of public debate following three recent events. * The request for extradition of Benjamin Ramos from Germany who is accused of collaborating with ETA. During the final hearings before the Court of Justice of Berlin the persistence of torture in the Spanish State has been one of the main obstacles to the extradition request. After several months the extradition has been agreed by this court but the Constitutional Court has just agreed to hear the appeal made by Ramos's lawyers so the extradition is currently on hold. * The extradition request to Belgium for Raquel Garcia y Luis Moreno, who are alleged to have collaborated with ETA. Last summer, this request was refused, but pressure from the Spanish Government meant the case was brought up again and this time the Ministry of Justice agreed the extradition. An appeal is currently being considered by the Council of State, which has to decide upon the political character of the alleged crimes and on the risk of torture the defendants could face if returned. * The annual report of the Association Against Torture, Madrid, for 1994. This states that the number of policemen and prison officers accused for torture and ill treatment - a total of 553 - has increased by about one hundred from 1993 figures. The cases concern 184 Spanish national policemen, 138 Civil Guards, 116 Municipal policemen, 17 policemen of the Autonomic Communities, 53 prison officers and 25 military personnel. 29% of them have received sentences, 28% have been acquitted and 43% are awaiting decisions by the courts. Kontrola Kontrolpean, Donostia, Euskadi.