The Plenary Session of the Consell has approved an institutional declaration in support of the annulment of the judicial proceedings against Miguel Hernández, through which the Government of Spain is urged to annul the proceedings opened against the poet and to make a Declaration of Recognition and Personal Reparation in his favour and that of his family.
The Consell, on behalf of all Valencians, and in recognition of the memory of one of the most illustrious citizens of the Valencian Community, expresses its firm support for the request of Miguel Hernández’s family, as well as of various personalities and entities, for the annulment of the judicial proceedings that were opened against him at the time.
As regards the Declaration of Recognition and Personal Reparation, the Consell proposes to the Government of Spain that it be carried out preferably on October 30, the day of Miguel Hernández’s birth.
According to the Consell agreement, “nowadays, far from the post-war era and in a democratic state in which freedoms should not be at risk, it is necessary that those proceedings be revoked.”
For this reason, with this declaration and in compliance with the Law of Concord, approved on July 26, 2024 in the Valencian Parliament, the Plenary of the Consell joins the fight of Miguel Hernández’s family which, together with a large number of entities, groups and personalities, has been carried out for decades to have these summaries annulled, a request that was already denied in 2010 and 2013 by the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court.
The Consell’s agreement will be forwarded to the Presidency of the Government, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Culture and the parliamentary groups in Congress and the Senate.
Historical reparation
The agreement of the Consell approved this Tuesday justifies that the Valencian Community “as the land of origin of Miguel Hernández and Orihuela, as his hometown, cannot and should not remain alien to this call. The historical reparation of the poet is also a reparation of our own identity and dignity. Miguel Hernández is the most universal son of Orihuela, and we are sure that his fight for freedom and equal justice for all Spaniards, wherever they are from, and whatever position they occupy, would be one of the reasons for his life.”
According to the agreement, this petition aims to “honour Miguel Hernández, the poet who from his homeland raised his voice for freedom, justice and human rights, and whose legacy commits us to continue fighting for a more just and dignified society.”
Defender of freedom
Miguel Hernández, born in Orihuela on 30 October 1910, is one of the most emblematic figures of Spanish-language poetry and a symbol of the fight for freedom and justice. His life and work are deeply rooted in the history of the Valencian Community, and his legacy has elevated the name of Orihuela to an international level.
The poet was a staunch defender of freedom. He was sentenced to death, a sentence that was commuted to 30 years in prison. Miguel Hernández died in Alicante prison on March 28, 1942, of tuberculosis.
