The Navy opens disciplinary proceedings for serious misconduct against a soldier who signed a declaration against Franco

The sanction can be up to 30 days in custody and removal of the post

The file states that the criticism of the dictator, in the middle of a controversy over his exhumation, jeopardised the neutrality required by the armed forces.

The declaration was signed by several dozen members of the military in response to another document signed by 181 military professionals in support of the dictator.

The Navy has opened disciplinary proceedings for serious misconduct to a sailor on active duty who signed, last summer, the declaration against dictator Francisco Franco.

They justify this decision, which could involve a 30-days in custody and the removal of this corporal first, by assuring that criticising the dictator violates the political neutrality demanded of the armed forces.

The Controversy over the Exhumation

At the end of last July, in the middle of a controversy over the exhumation of Francisco Franco from El Valle de los Caídos, a group of 181 retired military signed a declaration in support of the dictator and against this measure. In response, the following month another group of military professionals published a second document, this time against the dictator.

In the first case, the the Ministry of Defense instructed disciplinary proceedings against five of the military signatories for expressing “statements contrary to” the Constitution and other State institutions, in addition to “repeatedly jeopardising their duties of political neutrality”. However, there has been no evidence that they have been sanctioned.

In the second case, as reported by El País, the nine members of the military on active duty who signed the document against the dictator -one sub-lieutenant, four corporals and four Civil Guard officers- have had an informative disciplinary proceedings. This is the case of the first corporal of the Marine Infantry, affiliated to the Democratic Military Union (UMD), who could be sanctioned with up to one month in custody for signing the declaration promoted by retired navy captain Arturo Maira and backed by other retired soldiers, such as the former Jemad and deputy of Podemos Julio Rodríguez, among others.

The promoter of the disciplinary proceedings has argued that it is not a matter of an opinion on the dictator, which could be a mistake by the corporal first, but of his adherence to the declaration at a time when Franco’s exhumation was causing a “fiery political-social debate”, so that, in this case, he could be failing to comply with the political neutrality demanded from the armed forces. Finally, the Navy has started disciplinary proceedings for serious misconduct.

Translated by Albert (@dites_dites)

Original source: eldiario.es (@eldiarioes)

https://www.eldiario.es/sociedad/Abren-expediente-disciplinario-manifiesto-Franco_0_864763582.html

Published on: 5th of February 2019