Geneva, 24 March 2017 – Switzerland’s decision to send back home a Spanish citizen sentenced to jail in spite of evident signs her confession was obtained under torture falls short of basic due process and fair trial standards of Swiss extradition rules.

Ms. Nekane Txapartegi claims she had been tortured in 1999 in Spain while held incommunicado, following an arrest on suspicion of collaboration with Basque separatist armed group Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA). Rising evidence of recurrent torture of Basque terror suspects between 1960 and 2013 has raised serious doubts about Spain’s compliance with Article 15 of the Convention Against Torture, which rules out of legal proceedings the use of evidence obtained under torture. Continue reading →