UN Envoy, Pablo de Greiff has called on Spain to reach a political deal – far removed from party interests – concerning the victims of the Franco dictatorship.

The Special Rapporteur claims that Spain has not done enough to “repair” the damage caused by the Civil War and Francoism.

During his ten-day stay he met with political parties, victims’ associations and regional ombudsmen.

Despite having received “complete cooperation” from the Central Government, he says, he could not help but criticise their lack of support for the said victims. “It is especially surprising to observe that more has not been carried out in favour of the victims,” he denounced.

In his preliminary conclusions he stated, “There is need for a true state policy that is not dependent upon the results of general elections – this is about rights; not politics.” Here he was referring to progress being made under socialist governments and then abandoned under conservative ones.

He says that a pending task was the abolition of the 1977 Amnesty, which is being used as an instrument to shelve the practical totality of the cases that have arrived before judges concerning the locating of missing relatives during the post-war repression years.

He was especially critical of the recent decision by the Spanish Attorney General to block the extradition of the Juan Antonio González Pacheco to Argentina to stand trial; González was known by the nickname Billy the Kid and was one of the Franco regime’s most brutal torturers.

(News: Spain)