The Catalan Parliament's Ombudsman Commission has approved a resolution asking Esther Giménez-Salinas, the Ombudsman, to investigate documented cases of harassment, ill-treatment, abuse, and deaths during compulsory Spanish military service. The resolution specifically highlights recruits from Catalonia.
The text, put forward by Junts, ERC, Comuns, and CUP, received support from these four groups. PP and Vox voted against it, while PSC-Units abstained. However, socialist MP Ivana Martínez stated her group favoured competent bodies studying the reported situations.
The resolution also asks the Ombudsman to urge the Spanish national Ombudsman to open a full and independent investigation into these events across Spain. The Catalan Parliament indicated that the documentation work should include data on suicides, deaths in unexplained circumstances, and abuse complaints related to military service. It also called for an analysis of possible institutional, political, and military responsibilities and an evaluation of existing control mechanisms.
Recognition and Reparation for Victims
Once the facts are established, the chamber believes the Spanish state should publicly recognise the victims. It also called for the establishment of protocols for moral, symbolic, and economic reparation, and guaranteed access to free legal assistance and psychological support for victims and their families.
Following the resolution's approval, Francesc Robelló, spokesperson for the Breaking the Silence platform, expressed hope that PSC-Units' abstention, which did not block the measure, would be reflected in the Spanish Congress. There, the PSOE has voted against investigating these matters for two months. Robelló said, "May the PSOE lean towards the light, because now it is on the side of darkness, along with the PP and Vox."
Background in Spanish Congress
In April, the Spanish Congress's Defence Commission rejected a non-legislative proposal (PNL) from Junts, Sumar, ERC, PNB, Bildu, Podem, Compromís, and BNG. This proposal aimed to open a full national investigation into harassment and suicides during military service. The initiative failed due to the PSOE's abstention and votes against it from PP and Vox.
During the Ombudsman Commission session, the PSC-Units MP argued that tools existed for these investigations, "always with respect for military service." She added, "If it is proven that the events happened this way, we demand that responsibilities be cleared."
The PSOE has repeatedly refused to create an investigation commission into abuses during Spanish military service.
