July 1st, 2019 – Almeria
18 year-old. Suffocated from a knee on his neck
Ilyas was a young Moroccan from Tetouan who immigrated to Spain. According to the Ligue marocaine pour la défense des droits de l’homme (LMDDH) and a videosurveillance footage they obtained, the supervisors of the Tierras de Oria accommodation center for minors where he was detained transported Ilyas with his hands tied behind his back to a room. Once laid on his belly on the bed, six of them held him while one pressed on his back and neck with his knees during several minutes, which resulted in Ilyas suffocating and stopping breathing.
El Pais published the video footage proving Ilyas was not resisting nor being violent, raising serious doubt about the need to use such “mechanical contention“.
Almeria’s Attorney general described Ilyas‘ death as an “excessive force” used on the victim and amounting to an “accident“, to justify dropping the homicide case. Worse even, the coroner’s report concluded death by cardiac arrest and excluded death suffocation, in obvious contradiction with the video footage.
Mourad El Ajouti, representing the family and the Coalition Justice for Ilyas, lodged a request with the Tribunal of Almeria, demanding the case be reexamined.
The Collective was invited by the Spanish Parliament to talk about the use of the “mechanical contention protocol” in minor detention centers and the opportunity of a new legislation prohibiting such protocol. Later an Almeria judge sent a letter to the the Ginso Foundation announcing that for now the protocole would be put on hold in the Ginso center.
Physical violence
| Kicks, punches, slaps | |
| X | Feet / knees on the nape of the neck, chest or face |
| Blows to the victim while under control and/or on the ground | |
| Blows to the ears | |
| Strangulation / chokehold | |
| Painful armlock | |
| Fingers forced backwards | |
| Spraying with water | |
| Dog bites | |
| Hair pulling | |
| Tirage par les cheveux | |
| Painful tightening of colson ties or handcuffs | |
| Painfully pulling by colson ties or handcuffs | |
| Use of gloves | |
| Use of firearm | |
| Use of “Bean bags” (a coton sack containing tiny lead bullets) | |
| Use of FlashBall weapon | |
| Use of sound grenade | |
| Use of dispersal grenade | |
| Use of teargas grenade | |
| Use of rubber bullets weapon (LBD40 type) | |
| Use of batons | |
| Use of Pepper Spray | |
| Use of Taser gun |
Psychological violence
| Charge of disturbing public order | |
| Charge of rebellion | |
| Accusation of beatings to officer | |
| Charge of threatening officer | |
| Charge of insulting an officer | |
| Threat with a weapon | |
| Aggressive behaviour, disrespect, insults | |
| Calls to end torment remained unheeded | |
| Sexist remarks | |
| Homophobic remarks | |
| Racist comments | |
| Violence by fellow police officers | |
| Passivity of police colleagues | |
| Lack or refusal of the police officer to identify him or herself | |
| Vexing or intimidating identity check | |
| Intimidation or arrest of witnesses | |
| Prevented from taking photographs or from filming the scene | |
| Refusal to notify someone or to telephone | |
| Refusal to administer a breathalyzer | |
| Refusal to fasten the seatbelt during transport | |
| Refusal to file a complaint | |
| Refusal to allow medical care or medication | |
| Lies, cover-ups, disappearance of evidence | |
| Undress before witnesses of the opposite sex | |
| Bend down naked in front of witnesses | |
| Lack of surveillance or monitoring during detention | |
| Lack of signature in the Personal Effects Register during detention | |
| Confiscation, deterioration, destruction of personal effects | |
| Pressure to sign documents | |
| Absence of a report | |
| Deprivation during detention (water, food) | |
| Inappropriate sanitary conditions during detention (temperature, hygiene, light) | |
| Complacency of doctors | |
| Kettling (corraling protestors to isolate them from the rest of the demonstration) | |
| X | Prolonged uncomfortable position |
- 02.07.2020 – Sit-in in front of the tribunal in Almeria
- 01.07.2020 – Hearing of the Collective Justice for Ilyas at the Parliament
- 06.2020 – Protests at the Spanish Consulate in Tetouan
- 01.2020 – Almeria tribunal reopens the case
- 2019 – Attorney general drops the homicide case
- 01.07.2019 – Death of Ilyas
- 2020.06.16_Bladi_Deces.Par.Asphyxie.D.Un.Marocain.En.Espagne.La.LMDDH.Saisit.La.Justice.pdf
- 2020.07.02_Bladi_Justice.Pour.Ilyas.Tahiri.pdf
- 2020.10.31_Bladi_Espagne.La.Justice.Rouvre.Le.Dossier.Du.Marocain.Ilias.Tahiri.Mort.Dans.Un.Centre.Pour.Mineurs.pdf
- 2020.07.01_Bladi_L.Affaire.Ilias.Tahiri.Atteint.Le.Parlement.Espagnol.pdf
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