lainformacion.com
Friday, 14/03/14
The person in charge of the Research area of Amnesty International, Ignacio Jovtis, He stated this Friday that, from tomorrow, Saturday, “Spain “It is going to become a paradise of impunity for serious human rights violations.”, since the judges “are going to see very limited” its competence to investigate these cases committed outside Spanish territory.
Jovtis made this statement to Servimedia after the reform of the Organic Law of the Judiciary, concerning universal justice, fuera publicada este viernes en el Official State Gazette (BOE), with entry into force for this Saturday.
“It is a regrettable step backwards that goes against the global trend of the fight against impunity.”. Spain, si en algún momento fue referente, Today he is being the example not to follow and what should not be done”, he added.
Jovtis stressed that a total of 163 countries (almost the 85% of the total), among them all UE, Norway and Swiss, include in their legislation universal jurisdiction in at least one of the crimes of international law, like genocide, torture, forced repression or crimes against humanity. “Spain now becomes the only European country whose legislation does not include it”, apostille.
He stressed that this regulatory change will affect not only future research, but also to those present, since there are currently open around 12 causes, like the 'Cuso case’ or genocide in Tibet, “many of which are going to be archived because the law says that all cases opened today by the principle of universal jurisdiction will be dismissed until it is demonstrated that they comply with the new requirements”.
She further , Jovtis drew attention to the fact that this legislative modification was carried out after an instructor from the National Court issue an international arrest warrant against five former senior officials of the Chinese Communist Party, Among them former president Jiang Zemin, For crimes of genocide, torture and crimes against humanity in Tibet during the years 80 and 90 of the last century. “There were complaints from the Chinese government and immediately afterward came this reform”, said.
In addition, recalled that the first reform of universal jurisdiction in Spain occurred in 2009 in a similar context, after the National Court opened a case for a bombing by Israeli soldiers in the Gaza Strip. “The then Minister of Foreign Affairs of Israel expressed his discomfort with this investigation. The reform came immediately afterwards., at that time led by the Government that was in power, who was from the PSOE”, he added.
Finally, Jovtis pointed out that Amnesty International will once again present this regulatory change to the United Nations and pointed out that there are some ways to “pull it back.”” the law, such as parliamentary groups presenting an appeal for unconstitutionality, judges or courts raise a question of unconstitutionality, or complaints before the International Criminal Court, the UN Committee against Enforced Disappearances or the UN Committee against Torture.
(Servimedia)
