On September 25, 1973 in Barcelona, in what was supposed to be a
well planned operation by Franco's plain clothes police, there was an
attempt to arrest two anarchists, Salvador Puig Antich and Xavier
Garriga. A shoot-out took place and a young Guardia Civil, Francisco
Anguas Barragan was killed, Salvador Puig Antich was badly wounded,
and arrested. He was tried by court martial and condemned to death.
Though there was persistent doubt about his guilt, and demonstrations in many
countries across the world to change the sentence to life in prison,
Franco refused. On March 2 1974, at 9:40am, in a cell in Barcelona Central Prison, 25 year old Salvador Puig Antich was executed by garrote. On
the same day Heinz Chez was also executed by garrote, these were the
last two executions by this method in Spain.
