Migrants in Sebta: Justice called to investigate alleged violence by Spanish soldiers

The Spanish daily El País calls for the opening of an urgent judicial investigation into alleged assaults committed by Spanish soldiers against migrants who entered the occupied enclave of Sebta on July 30th and 31st, during a migration crisis that saw about 70,000 people arrive from Morocco. In its editorial published Tuesday, the newspaper estimates that medical reports submitted to the justice system now constitute sufficient evidence to shed light on these accusations. About twenty of these documents were sent by the university hospital of Sebta to the city court. They state that migrants suffered injuries after being struck by Spanish soldiers participating in security patrols. For El País, this evidence justifies opening judicial investigations to verify the facts and establish any responsibilities. The daily considers that these medical reports strengthen the credibility of the accusations that emerged following the migrant influx of July 30th and 31st. Videos and photographs circulated on social networks and relayed by the media then reported indiscriminate violence against migrants, attributed to individuals in Spanish uniform. Testimonies and recordings at the heart of the case These accusations were also documented by Amnesty International. In a report published last September, the human rights organization counted acts of torture as well as other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment that were allegedly inflicted on migrants by members of the Spanish Legion and the regular regiment of Sebta. The document is based in particular on 22 detailed testimonies and photographs showing the victims' injuries. Amnesty International, however, chose to protect their anonymity to guarantee their safety. The case also includes audio recordings disclosed in the media. On September 15, 2026, the Spanish Ministry of Defence transmitted them to the court of Sebta and the public prosecutor's office. These recordings feature soldiers, presumed to be stationed in the city, boasting in a mocking tone about having struck migrants and mistreated them. The lack of data to identify the victims, however, has constituted a major obstacle to the course of judicial proceedings, El País emphasizes. The newspaper estimates that the medical reports submitted to the justice system could help overcome this difficulty in part by providing objective elements on the injuries observed. A duty to investigate for the authorities For the Spanish newspaper, the court now has sufficient evidence to determine whether the injuries recorded in the medical documents resulted actually from acts committed by Spanish soldiers. It recalls that international humanitarian law imposes on states the obligation to open an investigation ex officio when evidence suggests suspicions of mistreatment or torture attributable to public agents. This obligation, El País believes, applies fully to the case of Sebta. The challenge is now to verify the accusations, determine the circumstances of the alleged facts and, if applicable, establish individual responsibilities. The daily concludes that a swift and effective investigation would be in the interest of all parties, including the Spanish armed forces. It warns against the risk of allowing such behavior to be tolerated and calls on the authorities to exercise the utmost vigilance to guarantee the full respect for the obligations arising from international law.