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Torture
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The UN Human Rights Commission urges the Spanish State to adapt the definition of the crime of torture to international standards

In this regard, the Commission calls for the establishment of an independent mechanism to investigate all allegations of torture and ill-treatment by the security forces and regrets that this offence is time-barred at the age of 15.

Torture
Protest to report cases of torture. Stock Photo: EFE

The United Nations Human Rights Commission has issued a report on human rights violations committed by the Spanish State and on the basisofthe Universal Covenant on Human Rights  to set out the outstanding challenges . In this regard, it has urged the Spanish Government to bring the definition of the crime of torture into line with international standards and has regretted that the offence is subject to a statute of limitations of 15 years, except in cases of crimes against humanity.

The report has been presented in response to a letter previously submitted by theObservatoryfor Human Rights of the Basque Country  , in which it stresses that "it is a very important blow to the Spanish State", since "it makes visible the approximately 6,000 tortured persons included in the official reports, as well as the need for access to truth, reparation and justice for the victims of the State".

In this context, it urges the Spanish State to establish an appropriate and effective mechanism Comité Comité Comité Comité n to provide financial compensation to victims and to have an effective remedy to guarantee their right. "It also urges the Spanish State to continue its efforts to" recognize responsibility, to clarify the truth, to seek the missing persons and to take all necessary measures to protect their memory ".

In this regard, the Commission calls for the establishment of an independent mechanism competent to investigate all allegations of torture and ill-treatment by the security forces and to make all offences of torture imprescriptible, and regrets that interrogations in police stations have not yet been systematically recorded.

On the other hand, the ECHR expects "firm steps"by the State to guarantee the rights of victims of serious violations and considers it important to strengthen the position of the United Nations on the imprescriptibility of torture and other crimes against humanity," as well as the need to investigate and prosecute criminals without forgiveness, as it has already defined in the case of the Basque prisoner Raúl Fuentes ".

In any event, the Human Rights Commission welcomes some legislative measures , such as the amnesty granted in 2024 for the "institutional, political and social normalization of Catalonia", the amendments introduced in 2023 to the abortion law or the measures to guarantee sexual freedom established in 2022. The Human Rights Commission also acknowledges that efforts have been made to protect minors and adolescents from violence in 2021, as well as other measures taken to promote inclusion in the face of racism and xenophobia.

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