Spanish judge hears allegations of Franco-era police torture in a case rights groups say is a 1st

MADRID (AP) — A Spanish judge has heard evidence of alleged torture during the rule of late dictator Francisco Franco. Human rights groups say the case unfolding in a Madrid courthouse is the first of its kind to be accepted for legal review. The hearing on Friday involved allegations against five former police officers. The lead witness told reporters he had recounted how he was tortured by police in 1975, when he was a 19-year-old student. Previously, judges have refused to hear such cases because of a 1977 amnesty law that blocked the prosecution of Franco-era crimes. The center-left Socialist government in power last year opened the door to possible prosecutions.