Police Union Alleges Government Reprisals Against Officers

MADRID, Spain – The National Police union JUPOL has denounced what it describes as a situation of governmental harassment at the highest level against officers from the General Commissariat for Immigration and Borders who prepared the report attributing responsibility to Morocco for the mass border assault in Ceuta. The union claims that the Police Directorate is conducting inquiries within the immigration commissariat to gather information about the authors of the report and fears that disciplinary actions may be taken against them, describing the situation as a witch hunt.

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JUPOL has demanded that no official be retaliated against for producing a professional and documented report, and has called for the National Court to be able to assess all existing reports with absolute independence, without interference or pressure of any kind. The union has also called for any action that could constitute reprisals, intimidation, or targeting against the officers who prepared the Ceuta reports to be halted, and for the professional independence of police officers to be respected, emphasising that officers have an obligation to report what they know, regardless of whether their reports may be uncomfortable for political leaders.

The union has also denounced that the Interior Ministry is commissioning ad hoc reports from senior officials aligned with the government that would rule out Morocco’s involvement, thus reinforcing the official narrative. The union spokesperson explained that these are a series of reports requested very recently by the Interior Minister and the Police Director from senior officials of the Police Directorate who are of their utmost confidence and appointed by them, which were specifically requested to elaborate reports ruling out Morocco’s participation and reflecting that there were no prior warnings about the mass entry on July 30 and 31.

Police sources have stated that among these ad hoc reports commissioned by the Interior Ministry is the one sent by the Guardia Civil’s Information Headquarters to Judge María Tardón of the National Court, which sources indicate consists only of three pages and was prepared by a commander close to the deputy operational director, who is also implicated in the Leire Díez case and is a close associate of Minister Marlaska. JUPOL has also highlighted the contrast between the 55-page report prepared by the National Police’s CENIF, which contains abundant graphic documentation on the participation of Moroccan security forces in the mass entry, and the Guardia Civil report, which is only three pages long and does not implicate Rabat.

The union has defended the professionalism of the CENIF report, stating that it leaves no doubt that the kingdom of Morocco was behind the mass entry of migrants, and has called on the Interior Ministry to stop looking for scapegoats within the National Police to justify its political decisions made before, during, or after the Ceuta crisis. The allegations have intensified scrutiny of the government’s handling of the crisis and its relationship with Morocco, and have raised questions about the independence and integrity of the investigative process. The government has not yet responded to the union’s allegations, but the controversy is likely to further strain relations between the executive and law enforcement agencies.

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The National Court’s investigation into the Ceuta crisis continues, and the competing reports are expected to be a key focus of the judicial inquiry. The case has become a major political and legal issue in Spain, and its outcome will have significant implications for the government’s credibility and for Spain’s relations with Morocco. The police union’s claims have added a new dimension to the ongoing debate about the government’s handling of the crisis, and have heightened concerns about political interference in law enforcement. The government’s response to the allegations will be closely watched, and the issue is likely to remain at the forefront of the political agenda in the coming weeks.