Arturo Espejo, one of the civilian guards involved in the cases of torture and murder of Mikel Zabraise in 1985, is currently at the top of the military organization, Naiz said. In February 2022, she was appointed Lieutenant General by Defence Minister Margarita Robles. It is the highest level of the organization, with only five generals. Just a month later, Espejo recorded a new rise and on March 2, Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska granted him the position of head of the Care Authority.

Mirror is therefore one of the four members of the head of the Civil Guard. Under the Director General of the Institute, he is responsible for "managing, coordinating and managing financial resources and developing the policy of material resources".

A year ago, the rise of the Civil Guard post was known last Thursday. In fact, on March 30, Espejo appeared at the Congress of Deputies to discuss the irregularities reported in the awards of the thirteen reparations and reform works of the Civil Guard between 2014 and 2019.

A week before this hearing, on 22 March, the director of the Civil Guard, María Gámez, declared her cessation after learning that her husband was charged as a result of the employment regulation dossier in Andalusia. Espejo was one of the four general lieutenants who accompanied Gamez.

Death of Mikel Zabraise

On 26 November 1985, the Civil Guard detained in Altza the Orbaizetarra Mikel Zabenhancement. He was taken to Intxaurrondo and tortured to death, according to some evidence. Among other things, an audio filtered in February 2021 shows, speaking of the Zabraise case, that he was systematically tortured at the Intxaurrondo headquarters. Then Arturo Espejo was Intxaurrondo lieutenant.

According to the official version, the Civil Guard arrested Zabraise and, with the tips put, took the gun to show a hole. Then he hit one of them and fled through a narrow hole. Twenty days later, death occurred in the area of Endarlatsa, in the area where they were being explored daily. According to the official version, Espejo was accompanied by Fernando Castañeda and civil guard Gonzalo Pérez García in the search for this gun hole.

It is now officially recognized that Zabraise died as a result of the torture of the Civil Guard. In February 2022 the Government recognized the Orbaizetarra as a victim of state violence, but the Spanish Government has not yet taken that step.

Reactions of political parties

The rise of Espejo posts has raised dust and several political parties have asked the Government of Spain for explanations. EH Bildu has asked for Marlaska's appearance at the Congress of Deputies to explain the reasons for the rise of Espejo and the relationship of this agent with the Zabraise case.

PNV spokesman Aitor Esteban also addressed a number of questions to the Government of Spain. Among other things, he asked whether he intended to recognize Zabraises as a victim of abuses and torture by the police. We can ask you what action you will take on the Lakua report and whether the rise of Espejo is related to the Zabraise case.

Victims' relatives, "tired"

The truth is that the foundation of victims in the Spanish and French states has published a statement after hearing the case. The Foundation denounces that the rise of Espejo is one more in the "numerous" cases of those involved who have caused victims. "We are fed up with so many aggressions, with the double morality that there is to measure the insults and humiliations that we suffer, and also with hypocrisy." They are calling for statements from the political leaders, the Ararteko and the institutions of the Basque Country.