Helen Duffy appointed to Spanish Truth Commission
Appointment image: Daniel Prado via Unsplash
The Spanish government has established a truth commission to address human rights violations committed during the Spanish Civil War and the subsequent Franco dictatorship. Helen Duffy, Professor of International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law at the Grotius Centre, has been appointed as a commissioner.
Serious violations took place during this Spanish war, but an amnesty law passed in 1978 effectively closed the path to truth and justice. Pressure to address this has continued, and the Spanish government has now announced the establishment of the commission. The Truth Commission will also include a dedicated subcommission to investigate violations committed against women held in institutions of the Women’s Protection Board between 1941 and 1985.
Over a period of 18 months, the commission will investigate and report on human rights violations committed during the Spanish Civil War and the Franco dictatorship. The initiative has been welcomed, among others, by a group of UN experts.