Spain probes alleged migrant abuse by troops after rights group report

Spain's Defence Ministry has alerted prosecutors and initiated an internal investigation following allegations by Amnesty International that military personnel tortured and mistreated migrants in the North African enclave of Ceuta. The report details 22 cases of abuse, including beatings and humiliation, allegedly carried out by troops during nighttime operations against migrants, some of whom remain in the territory.

Amnesty International Spain Director Esteban Beltran stated that troops pursued, beat, and humiliated migrants, including women and unaccompanied children. The rights group also reviewed photographs and videos consistent with allegations of excessive force, such as hooded personnel striking migrants and spraying their faces with irritants before pushing them across the border. The ministry confirmed it would send the report to the prosecutor's office and the duty court in Ceuta, instructing the Operations Command to investigate possible individual responsibilities.

Beltran welcomed the ministry's move but urged for it to have come sooner, emphasizing the need for an exhaustive investigation and the precautionary suspension of any implicated military personnel. He also highlighted the deplorable living conditions of the approximately 10,000 migrants still rough sleeping in Ceuta.