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Spanish Court Delays Testimony in 1976 Teófilo del Valle Killing Investigation to February 2026

The Elda tribunal dismissed an appeal by ex-minister Rodolfo Martín Villa against the case’s admission after a negative report from the provincial human-rights prosecutor.

Overview

  • The Court of First Instance and Instruction No. 1 of Elda postponed the videoconference statements of Rodolfo Martín Villa and former Policía Armada agent Daniel Aroca del Rey to 4 February 2026.
  • The delay was attributed to logistical problems at the Albacete and Madrid courts designated to host the telematic appearances.
  • The judge rejected Martín Villa’s challenge to the order admitting the family’s criminal complaint, with the Alicante human-rights and memory delegate of the prosecutor’s office opposing his appeal.
  • The proceedings, admitted in November 2024 on a complaint by the victim’s brother, remain in the instruction phase and are described by rights groups as the first Franco-era querella accepted by a Spanish court.
  • Teófilo del Valle, 20, was shot dead during a labor protest in Elda on 24 February 1976; Aroca was later acquitted by a military tribunal as acting in the line of duty, an outcome now under renewed judicial review.