Spanish judge Baltasar Garzon took to the stand to defend his attempt to investigate crimes of the Franco dictatorship telling the court that victims had a right to justice despite a 1977 amnesty.

Spanish judge Baltasar Garzon argued that the investigation had been brought following the same principles that allowed him to probe other cases into human rights abuses
The crusading judge, who became world renowned for launching human rights investigations including the crimes of former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet, is accused of overstepping his judicial powers for delving into Spain’s own dark past.
In a case that has divided Spain and seen streets filled with protesters marching in support of the magistrate, Mr Garzon is being prosecuted for ordering a 2008 investigation into the disappearance of 114,000 people during the Spanish Civil War of 1936-39 and ensuing 36-year dictatorship.
Called to the stand to give evidence to the panel of Supreme Court judges he denied that the probe was politically motivated and said he had simply been seeking truth and justice for the victims of Franco’s brutal regime and their relatives.
”There was no ideology, but there were thousands and thousands of victims who rights had not been dealt with,” he said.
He argued that the investigation had been brought following the same principles that allowed him to probe other cases into human rights abuses.

Those include the Pinochet case, which saw the former dictator investigated for human rights abuses and led to his arrest in London, and the successful prosecution against crimes carried out under Argentina’s military junta.
”I accepted the investigation into Franco era-crimes on the same basis of the Scilingo case from Argentina,” he argued.
”We are talking about a systematic elimination ... and thousands of those remain disappeared to this day,” he said of the Francoist crimes.
His defence hinges on the argument that the Amnesty law of 1977 – brought in to reconcile relations between left and right and smooth Spain’s transition to democracy – could not cover mass human rights abuses.
”The amnesty law refers to crimes of a political nature, in no way can it be said that crimes against humanity of the kind that were alleged could have any political nature,” the 56-year-old judge said.
The civil case has been brought by privately by two extreme-right organisations Limpios Manos – Clean Hands – and Liberty and Identity.
State prosecutors had agreed with defence lawyers that the case should be dismissed from the Supreme Court but the panel of seven judges chose instead to uphold it.
Outside the courtroom hundreds of protesters had gathered to support Mr Garzon. Among them were many relatives of victims of the Franco era whose bodies still lie in unmarked graves on roadsides across Spain.
They have branded this case, and two others in which Mr Garzon faces being struck off for abuse of power, as part of a political witch-hunt orchestrated to silence him.
”Baltasar Garzon showed today that his decision to take up the investigation of the crimes of the Franco era was fully supported by international law,” commented Reed Brody, a lawyer from Human Rights Watch who is among a group of international observers in the courtroom.
”But the spectacle of a judge as a criminal defendant, having to justify his investigation into torture, killings and 'disappearances,’ was itself an affront to principles of human rights and judicial independence,” he said.

 

Click here for a complete range of Expat Services

Madrid launched its bid to host the Olympic Games in 2020 on Monday unveiling a logo that immediately sparked controversy and left many Spaniards confused.

The logo was designed by Luis Peiret, 22, a graphic arts student from Zaragoza and chosen in a competition by the Spanish Olympic Committee
The design purportedly consists of the letter M for Madrid and the number 20 in front of the coloured rings of the Olympics stylised into arches inspired by the Madrid landmark, Puerta de Alcala.
But the lettering appears to show "20020", an effect that has brought much derision in the Spanish press and on social networking sites.
Within hours of the logo being unveiled the subject was trending in Spain on Twitter with the majority of views expressed of the negative variety.
One twitter user said it looked "like a display of flip-flops for the beach" another said it resembled a "colourful array of Bishops' mitres".
But most questioned whether Madrid was bidding for the "2020" Olympic Games or the "20020".

"To me it is confusing and naff," tweeted Pedro J Ramirez, the editor of El Mundo newspaper.
The logo was designed by Luis Peiret, 22, a graphic arts student from Zaragoza and chosen in a competition by the Spanish Olympic Committee.
Reports said he had intended the script to say M20 but when officials modified the logo they trimmed the bottom of the design leading to the visual confusion.
Bizarrely even the colours used to represent the Olympic Rings were not faithful to the original with pink being chosen to replace black, the colour meant to symbolise the African continent.
A poll on the website of Spain's leading daily newspaper El Pais Monday afternoon asked readers how much they liked the new logo. 81 per cent replied: "not at all".
It will be the fourth bid for candidacy by Madrid which argues that it is the largest European capital never to have played host.
Despite the deep economic crisis engulfing Spain, support for the bid is strong with recent polls showing 84 per cent of Spaniards wanting Madrid to play host while 91 per cent think it will create new jobs.
"The Government is supporting the candidacy of the capital for the 2020 Olympics," said Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, the country's Deputy Prime Minister.
"We want to give support to Madrid 2020 to help build the momentum behind Brand Spain and help generate trust and confidence in our country."
Other cities expected to apply on February 15 to host the 2020 Games include Tokyo, Rome, Istanbul, Baku in Azerbaijan and Doha in Qatar.

 

 

Click here for a complete range of Expat Services