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Huelva Gate : Justice refuses to reconsider one of the complaints filed by Moroccan workers

A Spanish court refused to reexamine one of the complaints filed by ten Moroccan women who used to work in Huelva. These seasonal workers were disappointed by the decision of the court, which refused their appeal.

Moroccan seasonal workers in Huelva. / Ph. DR
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Earlier this week, the La Palma del Condado court in Huelva rejected a request made by Belen Lujan, the lawyer appointed by ten Moroccan seasonal workers who filed several complaints against their former employers in Spain. The court informed the lawyer that she has five days to appeal against this decision with the High court of Justice in Andalusia.

Contacted by Yabiladi, Lujan said that the court «refused to hear the Moroccan women». «They filed 20 separate complaints to denounce their working conditions. Three of these complaints have been dismissed, and we have to wait until October to get the court’s decision on the remaining ones», she explained.

Regarding the other part of the case, which includes complaints related to sexual assault offences, Belen Luja said that they have not been told yet when the court will pronounce its ruling regarding the matter.

Disappointment

Over the phone, one of these seasonal workers, who have been in Spain since summer 2018, told Yabiladi that it took them «long hours» to attend the hearing. «The judge did not pay attention to what we had to say. She only spoke to our lawyer and ignored us», she argued.

«We felt that we did not have the right to speak. We did not even get a translator or an interpreter. The man who drove us to court, who is also Moroccan, had to translate what the judge was saying», she added. Disappointed with the situation, the worker said that they «cannot see light at the end of the tunnel».

In a 121-page appeal, titled «Reform and Appeal» and recorded on Tuesday, September 4, the legal representation of the ten seasonal Moroccans was asked last week to review the case related to the working conditions of the workers. The file, investigated by the Court of instruction of La Palma del Condado (Huelva), was dismissed on November 12.

A few months earlier, in December 2018, a panel of the same investigating court reacted in a similar manner to the alleged sexual assault cases of four of the ten Moroccan seasonal workers. Both decisions were dismissed by the Huelva Court of Appeal in June 2018 and a judge of the National Hearing.

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