Spain passes law to bring ‘justice’ to Franco-era victims

Measures include creation of census and national DNA bank to help locate and identify remains

Five decades after the death of General Franco, and three years after the Spanish dictator's remains were finally removed from his hulking mausoleum outside Madrid, the country's senate has approved legislation intended to bring justice, reparation and dignity" to the victims of the civil war and subsequent dictatorship.

On Wednesday afternoon, the upper house of Spain's parliament passed the socialist-led government's Democratic Memory law, with 128 votes in favour, 113 against, and 18 abstentions.