Subject: Lack of investigation of police brutality in Spain
On 20th October, Commissioner Johansson stated: “Each incident of is proportionate or illegal use of violence brought to oversight bodies should be systematically subject of an in-depth administrative or judicial enquiry”!
In Spain, extreme police brutality takes place particularly during Catalan pro-independence movement. The violence of October 1, 2017?, which caused around 1000 injured people, was condemned by HRW? or Al* among others. A recent ruling considers that police violence by Spanish corps was not a legitimate solution”. However, the Spanish police officers who beat the Catalans were not investigated by the Spanish Government, but were rewarded with medals and bonuses’.
In 2019, after protests against the prison sentence on Catalan leaders for the organization of 2017 referendum, the Spanish police was again condemned by the CoE” and rewarded by the Spanish government. The Commission refused to comment.
Does the Commission believe that rewarding the Spanish police officers that applied police brutality in 2017 and 2019 is in agreement with the statement of Commissioner Johansson?
Why did the Commission not comment on the brutality of the Spanish police against the Catalan national minority and considered it an internal matter?
