Thursday, October 16, 2008

Spanish judge to probe Franco era


A Spanish judge has launched a criminal investigation into the fate of tens of thousands of people who vanished during the civil war and Franco dictatorship.

Judge Baltasar Garzon - Spain's top investigating judge - has also ordered several mass graves to be opened.

One is believed to contain the remains of the poet Federico Garcia Lorca, who was murdered by fascist forces at the start of the war in the 1930s.

Correspondents say the move will be controversial in Spain.

They say there has been a tacit agreement among political parties not to delve too deeply into the civil war and Franco era.

In his ruling, Judge Garzon said forced disappearances were crimes against humanity and had not expired.

He said that he wanted to identify the leaders of the Spanish Falange fascist movement from July 1936 to December 1951, and that those still alive could face prosecution.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7673999.stm

No comments: