This file is a mirror of EUSKAL HERRIA JOURNAL by Basque Red Net.

EXTRAJUDICIAL EXECUTIONS AND
"ENCOUNTER" KILLINGS

Amnesty International 1993 report on Spain states that "[i]nquiries continued into killings in disputed circumstances of members of an armed Basque group by security forces". The killings which Amnesty International refers to are the unnecessary deaths of Basque militants in the moment of their arrest. In coloquial language this practice is called "shoot to kill".

There are numerous allegations that Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA. Basque Homeland and Freedom) militants and sympathizers are captured, tortured and then extrajudicially executed, the killings attributed by the Spanish police to armed "encounters". There are rarely survivors, either wounded or captured, of such alleged clashes. Witnesses may have observed the arrest of the victims, or may have seen them in custody, but are rarely present when killings occur, making it difficult to dispute police claims. A series of deaths of alleged ETA militants by security forces, link them to similar circumstances. In all cases a contradiction exists between the official version given by the authorities responsible for the security forces and the version given by witnesses.

The "encounter killing" cases listed in this page remain unresolved. This report includes only the thirty nine deaths occurred in disputed circumstances since 1978.

Killings in Disputed Circumstances (1978-1997)

Source: Luis Nuñez Astrain, Iñaki Egaña, and Iñigo Elkoro, Estado Español y Actividad Parapolicial (Acusación Popular en representación de los familiares de las Victimas del GAL, Euskal Herria, 1995)