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Spain seeks to prosecute Guatemalan politicians

12:13 H | Topics: Controversia - Guatemala - Justice - Spain

The Spanish government is looking to have several Guatelmalan ex-military rulers extradited to Spain and prosecuted for the crimes of genocide and torture, according to the BBC:

Human rights groups want the seven - including two former military rulers - to face trial in Spain.

Guatemala has rejected extradition requests made this year.

Spain's highest court has ruled that cases of genocide committed abroad could be judged in Spain, even if no Spanish citizens have been involved.

The seven men sought by Madrid include former military rulers Efrain Rios Montt and Oscar Humberto Mejia Victores.

They are wanted in connection with a series of kidnappings, mass murders and torture of Mayan Indians committed during Guatemalan's 36-year-long civil war, which ended 10 years ago.

Spain's justice system -- and notably celeb judges like Baltasar Garzon (who wants Chilean dictator Pinochet tried in death) -- is notorious for asking for the extradition to Spain of individuals involved in acts of genocide. In other cases, such as incidents of the Dirty War, this seems to have been possible based on the fact that some of the victims were children or grandchildren of Spanish nationals. According to this BBC piece, that isn't the case in Guatemala, and the attempt to prosecute is based on a plea by activist Rigoberta Menchu:

They have faced charges in Spain since 1999, when the Guatemalan indigenous leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Rigoberta Menchu presented a complaint against them.

BBC regional analyst Emilio San Pedro says she filed the complaint in Spain because prosecutions of crimes committed during the civil war are practically impossible in Guatemala.

Any attorneys out there want to explain to me how this is possible, given that no Spanish citizens were involved?

Via / BBC News

Related

• Guatemala Has a New President (Tuesday, Jan 15 2008)
• Juan Luis Guerra sued (Monday, Oct 29 2007)