Left Atheist Activism and Crime of Genocide in Francoist Spain.

This article investigates whether the mass killings of leftist individuals by the Franco regime during the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939) can be legally classified as genocide under the 1948 United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. It highlights the significant role of religion in Francoist repression, noting that leftists were targeted not only for their political ideology but also as a religious group identified with atheism and opposition to Catholicism. The Francoist authorities and the Catholic Church framed the conflict as a religious crusade between Catholics and atheists, which contributed to the dehumanization and extermination of Republicans. While the article focuses on the objective elements (actus reus) of genocide and acknowledges that the subjective intent (mens rea) requires further study, it argues there is sufficient evidence to interpret Francoist repression as genocide in part due to its religious dimension.