The first atrocities of the Spanish Civil War took place just a few weeks after the military coup began, Ilta-Sanomat reports, citing special correspondent Jouko Juonala. The timing underlines how quickly a political crisis can turn into widespread terror.

Mass graves are still being excavated in Spain, showing that the conflict’s legacy remains present decades later. According to Juonala, the wounds left by the brutal terror heal slowly, and the effort to confront the past is still part of the country’s public memory.