The National Court orders the National Heritage to stop the exhumations in the Valley of the Fallen

MADRID, 18 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Central Contentious-Administrative Court number 11 of Madrid has ordered National Heritage to paralyze the exhumations that are taking place in the Valley of the Fallen.

This is stated in a ruling, to which Europa Press had access, which admits the extremely precautionary measures requested by the Spanish Foundation of Christian Lawyers, which acts on behalf of the granddaughter of one of the barely 200 women buried in the Basílica del Valle.

In accordance with the provisions of article 135.1, a hearing is granted to National Heritage to argue what it deems appropriate within a period of three days, after which an order will be issued on the lifting, maintenance or modification of the adopted measure.

It was last June when the Government began work to exhume the victims of the Civil War in the Cuelgamuros Valley. On March 13, the Supreme Court gave the green light to the exhumations by rejecting the appeal presented by the Francisco Franco Foundation, the last obstacle that stopped the extraction of the bodies.

Last September, the Contentious-Administrative Court number 10 of Madrid annulled the building license granted by the City Council of San Lorenzo de El Escorial to access the crypts and proceed with the exhumation of mortal remains of victims of Francoism and the War Civil.

The sentence came after last June the Government began work to exhume the victims of the Civil War in the Cuelgamuros Valley to comply with the Democratic Memory Law.

Christian Lawyers considers that the exhumation work authorized by the Ministry of the Presidency represents "a violation of the fundamental right to religious freedom." The organization of jurists argues that, "the constitutional right to religious freedom protects the right to a dignified burial."

He assures that "the mere need to have to carry out DNA tests on the corpses (which implies a certain degree of desecration) is violating an exercise of religious freedom." He denounces that "to carry out these tests they have not requested consent from the relatives."

"This is another attack by the Government of Pedro Sánchez on the Valley of the Fallen. The only thing they seek with these works is to damage the Basilica. We will not rest until our religious freedom and the largest Cross in the world are respected," says Castellano.

"We only ask for respect for our symbols, our traditions, our culture and our fundamental rights, one of the most important and which is being repeatedly attacked by this government is the right to religious freedom," he adds.

Pablo Linares, president of the Association for the Defense of the Valley, has celebrated the court decision. He assures that the right to rest in peace with respect for his dignity, "should not be discriminated against or ignored in accordance with article 10 of the Spanish Constitution."