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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Sam Jones in Madrid

Melilla border crush: Amnesty criticises ‘unlawful force’ and lack of first aid

Riot police cordon off the area after people arrive on Spanish soil after crossing the fences separating Melilla from Morocco in June
Riot police cordon off the area after people arrive on Spanish soil after crossing the fences separating Melilla from Morocco in June. Photograph: Javier Bernardo/AP

The “widespread use of unlawful force” by Moroccan and Spanish authorities contributed to the deaths of at least 37 people who perished during a mass storming of the border fence between Morocco and Spain’s north African enclave of Melilla in June, according to a report.

The Amnesty International report also accuses Moroccan and Spanish police of failing to provide even basic first aid to those injured in the crush as they were left “in the full glare of the sun for up to eight hours”. It says Moroccan authorities prioritised moving corpses and treating security officials above the needs of injured migrants and refugees.

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