audio, stills, text and or video: Go to zReportage.com to see more - Timoteo Mendieta was killed more than 75 years ago, thrown against a wall and shot at point-blank range by soldiers of the Franco regime, who suspected him of being a village union leader. Now, his body has been exhumed from a mass grave in Guadalajara cemetery - one of hundreds of victims of the Spanish dictator buried in the cemetery who will at last be granted a dignified funeral, following a judicial order. A long shadow is still cast from the event that defined 20th-century Spain: the civil war that began 75 years ago, when General Franco mounted an army rebellion against the democratically elected government of the republic. Officially, the Spanish civil war ended in 1939, but its estimated more than 200,000 Spaniards died in the ensuing 36-year repressive dictatorship that followed. 100,000 victims are still missing. The Historical Memory Law was the product of several citizen-based efforts to come to terms with the repression and terror of the Franco regime. One leading group, The Association for the Recovery of Historical Memory (ARMH) was formed in 2000 by some fifty archeologists and forensic scientists who had the basic goal of gaining access to mass graves and identifying the remains of victims. The effort to identify victims, chronically underfunded, is moving forward slowly (a union of electricians of Norway cover all the expenses). To date some 2,000 individuals have been positively identified, exhumed from mass graves and reburied.
© Nacho Guadano/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

Jan 20, 2016 - Guadalajara, Spain - GONZALO LORENZO CARNIM was the forensic of the exhumation in 2016. In the image he is investigating on another mass grave during the exhumation in 2016 in the cemetery of Guadalajara. Exhumation of Timoteo Mendieta in Guadalajara. Timoteo Mendieta Alcala was executed against Guadalajara's cemetery wall on November 16, 1939 - one of an estimated 822 executions carried out at the cemetery from 1939 to 1944. The father-of-seven had been the local leader of the socialist UGT union in the village of Sacedon, where he had worked as a butcher. During the Franco era, his family did not dare ask to have his remains removed from the grave in which he and 21 other men were buried.
© Nacho Guadano/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

January 22, 2016 - Guadalajara, Spain - RENE PACHECO, working in the dig at the level of the fourth body. Exhumation of Timoteo Mendieta in Guadalajara.Timoteo Mendieta Alcala was executed against Guadalajara's cemetery wall on November 16, 1939 - one of an estimated 822 executions carried out at the cemetery from 1939 to 1944. The father-of-seven had been the local leader of the socialist UGT union in the village of Sacedon, where he had worked as a butcher. During the Franco era, his family did not dare ask to have his remains removed from the grave in which he and 21 other men were buried.
© Nacho Guadano/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

Jan 23, 2016 - Guadalajara, Spain - In January of 2016, investigators worked until the closure of the cemetery. The hours of sun are shorter in that season and had to continue without sun. Timoteo Mendieta Alcala was executed against Guadalajara's cemetery wall on November 16, 1939 - one of an estimated 822 executions carried out at the cemetery from 1939 to 1944. The father-of-seven had been the local leader of the socialist UGT union in the village of Sacedon, where he had worked as a butcher. During the Franco era, his family did not dare ask to have his remains removed from the grave in which he and 21 other men were buried.
© Nacho Guadano/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

Jan 26, 2016 - Guadalajara, Spain - Through this door that is now closed, was the only access to the cemetery where the graves were located from 1939 to 1979. They only could enter the day of Corpus Christi in the month of June. Timoteo Mendieta Alcala was executed against Guadalajara's cemetery wall on November 16, 1939 - one of an estimated 822 executions carried out at the cemetery from 1939 to 1944. The father-of-seven had been the local leader of the socialist UGT union in the village of Sacedon, where he had worked as a butcher. During the Franco era, his family did not dare ask to have his remains removed from the grave in which he and 21 other men were buried.
© Nacho Guadano/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

Jan 28, 2016 - Guadalajara, Spain - CARMEN BENITO ALCANTARILLA shows the photo of her uncle Valentin Alcantarilla Mercado. Valentin was inside of the mass grave number 2 exhumed in January 2016. Timoteo Mendieta Alcala was executed against Guadalajara's cemetery wall on November 16, 1939 - one of an estimated 822 executions carried out at the cemetery from 1939 to 1944. The father-of-seven had been the local leader of the socialist UGT union in the village of Sacedon, where he had worked as a butcher. During the Franco era, his family did not dare ask to have his remains removed from the grave in which he and 21 other men were buried.
© Nacho Guadano/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

Jan 29, 2016 - Guadalajara, Spain - MARIA MOLINERO ZAPATA climbs a ladder up from the mass grave number 2 during the exhumation of Timoteo Mendieta in Guadalajara. Timoteo Mendieta Alcala was executed against Guadalajara's cemetery wall on November 16, 1939 - one of an estimated 822 executions carried out at the cemetery from 1939 to 1944. The father-of-seven had been the local leader of the socialist UGT union in the village of Sacedon, where he had worked as a butcher. During the Franco era, his family did not dare ask to have his remains removed from the grave in which he and 21 other men were buried.
© Nacho Guadano/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

January 30, 2016 - Guadalajara, Spain - ASCENSION MENDIETA right and ANA MESUTTI, lawyer of the family, left, participate during a tribute to the victims. Timoteo Mendieta Alcala was executed against Guadalajara's cemetery wall on November 16, 1939 - one of an estimated 822 executions carried out at the cemetery from 1939 to 1944. The father-of-seven had been the local leader of the socialist UGT union in the village of Sacedon, where he had worked as a butcher. During the Franco era, his family did not dare ask to have his remains removed from the grave in which he and 21 other men were buried.
© Nacho Guadano/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

Jan 30, 2016 - Guadalajara, Spain - People participate in a tribute to the victims killed by the Francoist repression in the cemetery. Timoteo Mendieta Alcala was executed against Guadalajara's cemetery wall on November 16, 1939 - one of an estimated 822 executions carried out at the cemetery from 1939 to 1944. The father-of-seven had been the local leader of the socialist UGT union in the village of Sacedon, where he had worked as a butcher. During the Franco era, his family did not dare ask to have his remains removed from the grave in which he and 21 other men were buried.
© Nacho Guadano/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

Jan 31, 2016 - Guadalajara, Spain - CARLOS GARCIA BARREDO is responsible for the security of the exhumation. He built the holding structure for the land. He did not have many means to do so. Carlos was a miner for 22 years. Exhumation of Timoteo Mendieta in Guadalajara.Timoteo Mendieta Alcala was executed against Guadalajara's cemetery wall on November 16, 1939 - one of an estimated 822 executions carried out at the cemetery from 1939 to 1944. The father-of-seven had been the local leader of the socialist UGT union in the village of Sacedon, where he had worked as a butcher. During the Franco era, his family did not dare ask to have his remains removed from the grave in which he and 21 other men were buried.
© Nacho Guadano/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

Jan 31, 2016 - Guadalajara, Spain - RENE PACHECO checks the papers of all the boxes with the rest of the exhumation. Timoteo Mendieta Alcala was executed against Guadalajara's cemetery wall on November 16, 1939 - one of an estimated 822 executions carried out at the cemetery from 1939 to 1944. The father-of-seven had been the local leader of the socialist UGT union in the village of Sacedon, where he had worked as a butcher. During the Franco era, his family did not dare ask to have his remains removed from the grave in which he and 21 other men were buried.
© Nacho Guadano/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

Jan 31, 2016 - Guadalajara, Spain - ASCENSION MENDIETA sits with her daughter CHON VARGAS, behind, during the exhumation of the mass grave number 2. Timoteo Mendieta Alcala was executed against Guadalajara's cemetery wall on November 16, 1939 - one of an estimated 822 executions carried out at the cemetery from 1939 to 1944. The father-of-seven had been the local leader of the socialist UGT union in the village of Sacedon, where he had worked as a butcher. During the Franco era, his family did not dare ask to have his remains removed from the grave in which he and 21 other men were buried.
© Nacho Guadano/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

May 12, 2017 - Guadalajara, Spain - JUAN CARLOS and CARMEN keep the skull of the remains of the first body of the grave number 1. Timoteo Mendieta Alcala was executed against Guadalajara's cemetery wall on November 16, 1939 - one of an estimated 822 executions carried out at the cemetery from 1939 to 1944. The father-of-seven had been the local leader of the socialist UGT union in the village of Sacedon, where he had worked as a butcher. During the Franco era, his family did not dare ask to have his remains removed from the grave in which he and 21 other men were buried.
© Nacho Guadano/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

May 23, 2017 - Guadalajara, Spain - RENE PACHECO explains to CARMEN BENITO how the exhumation works. Carmen is saddened, and begins to cry. She recovered the remains of her uncle Valentin Alcantarilla Mercado in the exhumation of grave number 2, in 2016. Timoteo Mendieta Alcala was executed against Guadalajara's cemetery wall on November 16, 1939 - one of an estimated 822 executions carried out at the cemetery from 1939 to 1944. The father-of-seven had been the local leader of the socialist UGT union in the village of Sacedon, where he had worked as a butcher. During the Franco era, his family did not dare ask to have his remains removed from the grave in which he and 21 other men were buried.
© Nacho Guadano/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

May 25, 2017 - Guadalajara, Spain - A man participates during a tribute of the members of the Norwegian Electricians Union to the victims. Timoteo Mendieta Alcala was executed against Guadalajara's cemetery wall on November 16, 1939 - one of an estimated 822 executions carried out at the cemetery from 1939 to 1944. The father-of-seven had been the local leader of the socialist UGT union in the village of Sacedon, where he had worked as a butcher. During the Franco era, his family did not dare ask to have his remains removed from the grave in which he and 21 other men were buried.
© Nacho Guadano/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

May 28, 2017 - Guadalajara, Spain - Skeleton number 24, last body of the grave number 1. The space attached to the grave number 1 was the one that exhumed from the grave number 2 emptied in 2016. They had to dig again to work with more space. Timoteo Mendieta Alcala was executed against Guadalajara's cemetery wall on November 16, 1939 - one of an estimated 822 executions carried out at the cemetery from 1939 to 1944. The father-of-seven had been the local leader of the socialist UGT union in the village of Sacedon, where he had worked as a butcher. During the Franco era, his family did not dare ask to have his remains removed from the grave in which he and 21 other men were buried.
© Nacho Guadano/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

'Killed to defend the democracy, the freedom.' Timoteo Mendieta Alcala was executed against Guadalajara's cemetery wall on November 16, 1939 - one of an estimated 822 executions carried out at the cemetery from 1939 to 1944. The father-of-seven had been the local leader of the socialist UGT union in the village of Sacedon, where he had worked as a butcher. During the Franco era, his family did not dare ask to have his remains removed from the grave in which he and 21 other men were buried.
© Nacho Guadano/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

May 29, 2017 - Guadalajara, Spain - The team of the A.R.M.H working in other area of the cemetery trying to find Timoteo. In this occasion they are looking in four individual tombs. Exhumation of Timoteo Mendieta in Guadalajara.Timoteo Mendieta Alcala was executed against Guadalajara's cemetery wall on November 16, 1939 - one of an estimated 822 executions carried out at the cemetery from 1939 to 1944. The father-of-seven had been the local leader of the socialist UGT union in the village of Sacedon, where he had worked as a butcher. During the Franco era, his family did not dare ask to have his remains removed from the grave in which he and 21 other men were buried.
© Nacho Guadano/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

May 30, 2017 - Guadalajara, Spain - The four individual tombs in which Timoteo Mendieta could be found just before being exhumed. Timoteo Mendieta Alcala was executed against Guadalajara's cemetery wall on November 16, 1939 - one of an estimated 822 executions carried out at the cemetery from 1939 to 1944. The father-of-seven had been the local leader of the socialist UGT union in the village of Sacedon, where he had worked as a butcher. During the Franco era, his family did not dare ask to have his remains removed from the grave in which he and 21 other men were buried.
© Nacho Guadano/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

Jul 1, 2017 - Madrid, Spain - ASCENSION MENDIETA in the vigil of her father Timoteo Mendieta. Timoteo Mendieta Alcala was executed against Guadalajara's cemetery wall on November 16, 1939 - one of an estimated 822 executions carried out at the cemetery from 1939 to 1944. The father-of-seven had been the local leader of the socialist UGT union in the village of Sacedon, where he had worked as a butcher. During the Franco era, his family did not dare ask to have his remains removed from the grave in which he and 21 other men were buried.
© Nacho Guadano/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

Jul 1, 2017 - Madrid, Spain - The commemorative card of Timoteo Mendieta. Timoteo Mendieta Alcala was executed against Guadalajara's cemetery wall on November 16, 1939 - one of an estimated 822 executions carried out at the cemetery from 1939 to 1944. The father-of-seven had been the local leader of the socialist UGT union in the village of Sacedon, where he had worked as a butcher. During the Franco era, his family did not dare ask to have his remains removed from the grave in which he and 21 other men were buried.
© Nacho Guadano/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

July 2, 2017 - Madrid, Spain - Coffin of Timoteo Mendieta being lowered into the family grave. Covering the coffin, is the flag of the second Republic of Spain. Timoteo Mendieta Alcala was executed against Guadalajara's cemetery wall on November 16, 1939 - one of an estimated 822 executions carried out at the cemetery from 1939 to 1944. The father-of-seven had been the local leader of the socialist UGT union in the village of Sacedon, where he had worked as a butcher. During the Franco era, his family did not dare ask to have his remains removed from the grave in which he and 21 other men were buried.
© Nacho Guadano/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire