MADRID — Spain's Defence Ministry has initiated an internal investigation and referred a report by Amnesty International to prosecutors regarding allegations of torture and mistreatment of migrants in Ceuta. The ministry said Wednesday it instructed the Operations Command to investigate individual responsibilities among military personnel.
Amnesty International's report accuses members of Spain's armed forces of committing torture and other cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment against migrants. The incidents allegedly occurred after more than 72,000 individuals crossed the border from Morocco into the North African enclave in late July.
Esteban Beltran, director of Amnesty International Spain, said the group documented 22 specific cases of torture and abuse by military personnel. He described an apparent pattern where troops pursued, beat and humiliated migrants, including women and unaccompanied children, during nighttime operations.
The rights group cited photographs and videos it reviewed, which it said were consistent with allegations of excessive force. The images showed hooded personnel striking migrants and spraying their faces with irritants before pushing them back across the border.
The Defence Ministry confirmed its action, stating in a statement that it had agreed to send the report to the prosecutor's office and the duty court in Ceuta and to instruct the Operations Command to investigate and clarify any possible individual responsibilities.
Beltran welcomed the ministry's decision but said the response should have come sooner. He called for an exhaustive investigation and the immediate suspension of any military personnel implicated in the allegations.
"These individuals cannot remain in their duties for a single minute longer, at least as a precautionary measure, until responsibilities are determined," Beltran said.
While most of the 72,000 migrants who crossed in July eventually returned, at least 10,000 remain in Ceuta. Amnesty International urged improved humanitarian assistance for the migrants still living in makeshift conditions in the enclave.
