96-year-old Joan Busquets, one of the last surviving fighters from the guerrilla war against the Franco dictatorship, is suing the Spanish government for €1m in reparations. After suffering torture, forced labor, and 20 years in prison at the hands of the regime, he is seeking financial compensation under Spain’s Democratic Memory law, which offers “moral reparations” to victims.
Busquets joined a guerrilla group in northern Catalonia after the civil war, smuggling arms and explosives from France to Spain. After being arrested and enduring torture, he spent two decades in prison, where he was denied medical help and suffered lifelong health problems as a result. Despite the amnesty granted to Franco’s regime supporters during the transition to democracy, laws have failed to provide substantial reparations to victims like Busquets.
Supported by the CGT trade union, Busquets is basing his claim on a 2005 UN resolution for reparations for victims of human rights violations. While no similar case has been successful, his lawyer argues that the Spanish state is responsible for the atrocities committed during the dictatorship. Busquets sees his fight for justice as a way to hold the government accountable for its actions and provide closure to victims who have long been ignored.
As a lifelong anarcho-syndicalist, Busquets’ pursuit of reparations is not about the money but about seeking justice for himself and other victims of the regime. Despite the challenges he faces, he is determined to continue fighting for recognition and acknowledgment of the suffering endured by those who opposed Franco’s dictatorship.
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