Spanish Court Allows Torture Investigation To Continue

[Senator]

http://pubrecord.org/torture/8981/spanish-court-allows-guantanamo-torture/print/">Spanish Court Allows Guantanamo Torture Investigation To Continue
Posted By Andy Worthington On March 2, 2011 @ 1:17 pm

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):

"This is a monumental decision ...

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[LiberalLoner]

1. Awesome!!! n/t K&R

[Lint Head]

2. Do it!

[WhiteTara]

3. this is great news! I can only hope that it will

progress and they will be forced to answer for their crimes.

[Solly Mack]

4. k/r

[jtrockville]

5. and justice for all

[azul]

6. Didn't Bush win an Academy Award for that performance?

Kind of confusing for simple Americans, what with so many foreigners laughing at their stubborn thickness. Righteously mad kings.

The President's Speech: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnxNnJYziMY

[EFerrari]

7. k&r

[leftstreet]

8. K&R

[gratuitous]

9. An investigation?

Why are they lookin' backward to the past instead of lookin' forward to the future? Those crazy Spaniards! I mean, if you start investigating things, you might turn up facts and evidence, and then who knows where that could lead? And what about the deficit? You're not thinking about the deficit! That's what everyone says is the most important thing right now.

[Senator]

10. kick