Defense sends to the courts the audios in which some soldiers boast about having assaulted migrants in Ceuta

MadridThe Ministry of Defense has sent to the Ceuta duty court and the Public Prosecutor's Office the audio recordings published by Eldiario.es in which at least three soldiers deployed in the autonomous city boast amidst laughter about beating up migrants during their surveillance shift. Margarita Robles' department has incorporated the recordings into the documentation previously sent following Amnesty International's report on allegations of beatings and mistreatment. Defense assures that it is doing so "to preserve the good name of the armed forces".

In one of the audio recordings published by Eldiario.es, the soldiers describe assaults and vexatious treatment against migrants. "Without gloves it's cooler," says one of the soldiers, who explains that this way the sound of the blows is heard better. According to the investigation by this newspaper, the conversation took place on the night of September 21 to 22, at a point near the Temporary Stay Center for Immigrants (CETI).

These recordings are in addition to some videos that came to light in September, also published by Eldiario.es, which show alleged assaults by soldiers on migrants in Ceuta. Days later, an Amnesty International investigation documented "torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment" attributed to members of the army against some of the migrants who entered Ceuta on July 30 and 31.

The organization denounced beatings, harassment, and theft of money and mobile phones attributed to the soldiers patrolling the city. It also noted that these actions responded to a possible "pattern" of mistreatment against the migrants who remained on the streets of the autonomous city following the summer migration crisis.

The director of Amnesty International Spain, Esteban Beltrán, has demanded a transparent investigation and stated that the recordings point to punitive actions intended to humiliate migrants, rather than cases of self-defense. The organization has requested by letter to the Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, updated information on the announced internal investigation and on possible precautionary measures against the soldiers involved.

Vexatious treatment

In one of the fragments of the audios published by Eldiario.es, a soldier explains that he and a colleague made two migrants believe they wanted to help them with their documentation before leading them behind a vehicle. According to his account, one of the young men was struck by surprise. The other soldiers react with laughter. At another moment, the participants describe an alleged "test" in which a migrant was supposedly forced to hit others, with reprisals for those who did not withstand the blows or did not cause enough pain. One of the soldiers compares the scene to the trials from the horror saga Saw.

The recordings also capture comments from the soldiers regarding how they treat the migrants. Some claim they prefer not to know their stories because they might generate compassion. At another moment, one of the participants states that the migrants "ask for it" and that it seems like "they enjoy getting hit". Eldiario.es explains that it has not been able to identify the unit to which the soldiers belong and that it has distorted the voices to preserve their anonymity.

The publication of the audios provides new elements to the complaints regarding the actions of the armed forces during the migration crisis that began with the entry of thousands of people from Morocco at the end of July. On October 12, the Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, defended the work of the soldiers deployed in Ceuta and described some of the accusations against the military as "unfair criticism".