11 Years After Deadly Ceuta Incident, Survivor Seeks Justice Through UN Complaint
A refugee, who nearly lost his sight during a police operation that resulted in the deaths of at least 14 individuals off the coast of Spain's north African enclave of Ceuta 11 years ago, has submitted a complaint to the UN Committee Against Torture. On February 6, 2014, approximately 200 migrants attempted to enter Ceuta by climbing the border fence or swimming around the breakwater that separates the city from Moroccan territory. In response, officers from Spain's Guardia Civil police force employed anti-riot equipment, including 145 rubber bullets and five smoke canisters, to deter the migrants, which led to chaos among those in the waters off Tarajal beach. Although 14 deaths were confirmed, survivors and NGOs argue that the actual death toll was significantly higher, with an additional 23 individuals expelled back to Morocco.
One of the survivors, known as Brice O, has taken a stand against the Spanish authorities' inaction regarding the use of anti-riot equipment in this incident. Brice, originally from Cameroon, recalls the harrowing experience: "I find it incredibly dangerous that rubber bullets are being used," he stated, highlighting his own injury where a rubber bullet left him partially disabled in one eye. As Brice made his way to the beach aboard a tire inner tube, he encountered intense pain and panic as various projectiles hit the water around him. "I managed to get out of the water but was really struggling to breathe," he recounted.
Eventually, Brice resettled from Morocco to Canada and is now pursuing a degree in cinematography and film production. His story underscores the dire need for accountability and investigation into the incident. Spain's then Interior Minister, Jorge Fernández Díaz, claimed that officers aimed rubber bullets at the water rather than directly at people and denied police actions contributed to any fatalities.
Despite multiple requests for justice, attempts to hold the authorities accountable have been unsuccessful. A judge dismissed the case against 16 Guardia Civil officers in 2015, stating a lack of existing protocols governing the use of anti-riot equipment in aquatic environments. This ruling was upheld by Spain's supreme court nearly three years ago.
Human rights organizations have condemned the investigation into the Tarajal incident, labeling it a farce and demanding a thorough evaluation of the force used. Hanaa Hakiki, director of the border justice team at the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, criticized the handling of the case over the past 11 years, asserting that Spain must fully investigate the tragic border operation. A separate appeal is currently pending before Spain's constitutional court, filed by various Spanish NGOs on behalf of victims and their families.
Elena Muñoz from the Spanish Commission for Refugees (CEAR) emphasized the importance of establishing protections for migrants' right to life at borders to prevent such tragedies from recurring and to ensure that families achieve truth, justice, and reparations.
The scrutiny of Spain's border policing intensified following another deadly event in June 2022, when at least 37 people died during a mass attempt to breach the border fence between Morocco and Melilla. Amnesty International pointed out that the unlawful force used by both Moroccan and Spanish authorities contributed to those fatalities, while a UN working group noted the racialized exclusion and violence aimed at individuals from African and Middle Eastern backgrounds.
Maite Daniela Lo Coco, migration coordinator for the human rights group Irídia, remarked on the ongoing human rights violations at the Spanish-Moroccan border, pointing out that both the El Tarajal incident in 2014 and the Melilla tragedy in 2022 illustrate how indiscriminate use of anti-riot materials and ineffective investigations are creating life-threatening situations for migrants, particularly Black individuals. The interior ministry has chosen not to comment on the recent complaint.
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