Homage to Franco victims on the 40th anniversary of the dictator's death

Barcelona (CNA).- On this day in 1975, Spanish dictator Francisco Franco died in bed after winning the Spanish Civil War, with the aid of Hitler and Mussolini, and leading a dictatorship that lasted 36 years. Different to what happened in Germany or Italy after their fascist regimes, Spain started a transition period towards democracy but many crimes committed during Franco's dictatorship remained unpunished. In order to pay tribute to the forgotten victims of this period and call for justice, the Catalan civil society association Òmnium Cultural will organise a massive event this Friday. The homage will take place in Barcelona's Model prison, since it was "a symbol of repression and torture" during Francoism, stated Òmnium's president, Quim Torra. The Catalan civil society association has also written a document which "condemns the dictatorship" and urges for the "victims' reparation". The document will be put to vote as a motion in all Catalonia's town halls. 

The event is set to start this Friday at 7pm and will be open to everybody, so that it will probably become one of the biggest events dedicated to the victims of Francoism. Both the date and the location are highly symbolic: Franco died on the 20^th of November 1975, 40 years ago today, and Barcelona's Model prison was one of the most infamous symbols of repression and torture during the dictatorship. Family of victims, various people who suffered and fought against Francoism and historians will address speeches to the audience, and this will be combined with live music and performances of some of the most anti-Francoism popular songs.

Òmnium Cultural has also prepared "a motions document to be approved by all town halls in Catalonia which aims to condemn Francoism and recognise its victims", stated Òmnium's President Quim Torra. "The wounds are not healed yet" stated lawyer Magda Oranich, an anti-Francoist activist who defended many political prisoners during the dictatorship. "Justice hasn't been done in this country" she stated "there was an amnesty law, and some prisoners were released soon after the dictator's death. We were happy about it but the Francoists felt amnestied too".