Spanish Court Allows Guantanamo Torture Investigation To Continue

[sabrina 1]

Spanish Court Allows Guantanamo Torture Investigation To Continue

On Friday, the Spanish National Court (Audiencia Nacional) gave hope to those seeking to hold accountable the Bush administration officials and lawyers who authorized torture by agreeing to continue investigating allegations made by a Moroccan-born Spanish resident, Lahcen Ikassrien, that he was tortured at Guantánamo, where he was held from 2002 to 2005.

Spanish courts are empowered to hear certain types of international cases, but following a limitation placed on the country’s universal jurisdiction laws in November 2009 (very possibly with pressure from the US), the cases in question must have a “relevant connection” to Spain. The National Court concluded that it was competent to take the case because Ikassrien had been a Spanish resident for 13 years prior to his capture, and it will be overseen by Judge Pablo Ruz, who, in June 2010, replaced the colorful and controversial Judge Baltasar Garzón, who initiated the proceedings, after Garzón fell foul of political opponents in Spain.

This is exceptionally good news, as the Center for Constitutional Rights, which has been involved in this case (and in another ongoing case, aimed at the six senior Bush administration lawyers who authorized the US torture program), explained in a press release (emphasis added):

Wikileaks Cables revealed that the U.S. had actively attempted to interfere with the Spanish Court's Torture investigation.

For the Center For Constitutional Rights, this is very good news as they have been involved in the Spanish Case hoping to get some justice for the torture of so many victims of the Bush WOT. This is part of a statement issued by them:

This is a monumental decision that will enable a Spanish judge to continue a case on the “authorized and systematic plan of torture and ill treatment” by US officials at Guantánamo. Geoffrey Miller, the former commanding officer at Guantánamo, has already been implicated, and the case will surely move up the chain of command. Since the US government has not only failed to investigate the illegal actions of its own officials and, according to diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks, also sought to interfere in the Spanish judicial process and stop the case from proceeding, this will be the first real investigation of the US torture program. This is a victory for accountability and a blow against impunity. The Center for Constitutional Rights applauds the Spanish courts for not bowing to political pressure and for undertaking what may be the most important investigation in decades.

Thank you Bradley Manning and Wikileaks for the part played in exposing the U.S. Government's secret attempts to protect Bush war criminals.

It wasn't about 'moving forward' after all. It was about protecting the shameful torture policies of the U.S. and those who implemented them.

Maybe there will be some justice after all. But it was inevitable that if the U.S. did not deal with its own war criminals, someone else would.

[sabrina 1]

1. It seems that the Spanish Court gave the U.S. the option to

investigate this case itself, by March 1st, from what I've read. What a disgrace that they U.S. not only won't address these huge crimes, but that they actively interfere to try to stop anyone else from doing so.

Here are the six named in the Spanish case:

David Addington

chief of staff and the
principal legal adviser
to vp dick cheney

Douglas Feith

former under-secretary of
defense for policy

william j. haynes II

former pentagon general
counsel

jay bybee

federal appeals court
judge and former
assistant

alberto gonzales

former attorney general
attorney,general

john yoo

former justice
department laywer

Until there is accountability for those who committed these crimes, up to and including the ring-leaders, Bush/Cheney and the Generals who actively encouraged them, this country will never have the respect of the rest of the world.

I just wanted to record their names. They are all currently still profiting from their crimes in this country.

[suffragette]

2. K&R for justice