Barcelona court to trial police officers over October 1 injury case

A trial is set to begin in Barcelona involving four Spanish police officers accused of causing serious injury during the October 1, 2017, referendum. The case centers on Roger Español, who lost an eye due to a rubber bullet impact at the Ramon Llull school.

The defendants include the officer who fired the shot, an inspector who directed the operation, and two sub-inspectors. Prosecutors and private accusations are seeking prison sentences of up to twelve or thirteen years, alleging aggravated intentional injuries or torture. Conversely, the prosecution and defense seek acquittal.

This case is notable because the defendants are not covered by the recent Spanish amnesty law. Under Article 2 of the law, acts that result in the loss of an organ or sense, or acts constituting torture, are expressly excluded from amnesty.

Six international human rights and anti-torture organizations, including Amnesty International and the World Organisation Against Torture, will send observers to monitor the proceedings. The court must determine if the use of force was legitimate or constituted a criminal act of torture.