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Top Spanish Judge Faces Abuse of Power Charges

   VOA News 07 April 2010
   Spanish  judge Baltasar Garzon arrives at the Supreme Court in Madrid.
   Garzon,  who  indicted  Augusto  Pinochet and Osama bin Laden has been
   charged with abuse of power in a probe of Spanish civil war atrocities
   (file photo)

Photo: AP

   Spanish  judge Baltasar Garzon arrives at the Supreme Court in Madrid.
   Garzon,  who  indicted  Augusto  Pinochet and Osama bin Laden has been
   charged with abuse of power in a probe of Spanish civil war atrocities
   (file photo)

   The  Spanish Supreme Court has ruled that authorities can file charges
   against  a  Spanish  judge  known  for  indicting  Osama bin Laden and
   ex-Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet.
   The judge in question, Baltasar Garzon, is expected to be charged with
   abuse  of  power for ordering a probe of decades-old Spanish civil war
   atrocities.
   The  Supreme  Court ruling clears the way for investigating magistrate
   Luciano  Varela  to  go  forward  with abuse charges. Varela ruled two
   months  ago  that Garzon "consciously ignored" a 1977 national amnesty
   decree  when  he  ordered  the  2008  probe. Wednesday's Supreme Court
   action upholds that ruling.
   Garzon's  highly-charged probe focused on the disappearance of tens of
   thousands   of   civilians  during  the  war  of  the  1930s  and  the
   decades-long  right-wing  dictatorship  that  followed.  However,  the
   investigation was later dropped.
   Garzon  denies  the  misconduct accusations, and is expected to appeal
   any indictment.
   If convicted, he could be suspended from the bench for up to 20 years.
   Garzon became known worldwide for using Spain's controversial doctrine
   of universal jurisdiction against international figures.
   The  doctrine  holds  that  heinous  crimes  â  including  torture and
   terrorism â can be tried in Spain, even if the crimes in question have
   no direct link to the country.
   Garzon  used  the  statute  in  1998  to  have former Chilean dictator
   Pinochet  arrested  as  the  Chilean  visited London. However, Britain
   ultimately refused to extradite Pinochet.

   Garzon  indicted  bin Laden in 2003, for the 2001 terrorist attacks on
   the United States.

   Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.

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