description Baltasar Garzón Overview
Baltasar Garzón is a Spanish jurist who served as an investigating judge at Spain's Audiencia Nacional. He became internationally prominent after issuing a warrant in 1998 for former Chilean ruler Augusto Pinochet, invoking the principle of universal jurisdiction in relation to alleged human-rights crimes. His judicial work also addressed terrorism, organized crime, political corruption, and abuses committed during authoritarian rule.
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Why is Spanish judge Baltasar Garzón internationally famous?
Baltasar Garzón is an internationally prominent Spanish jurist who issued an arrest warrant in 1998 for former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet. He invoked the principle of universal jurisdiction to attempt to prosecute Pinochet for human rights violations.
What court did Baltasar Garzón work for in Spain?
Garzón served as an investigating judge at Spain's Audiencia Nacional, a specialized high court in Madrid. In this powerful role, he handled major cases involving terrorism, organized crime, and high-level political corruption.
Did Baltasar Garzón get disbarred from the Spanish judiciary?
Yes, Baltasar Garzón was controversially disbarred from the Spanish judiciary for 11 years in 2012. The Supreme Court of Spain convicted him of illegally ordering wiretaps in a corruption case, which effectively ended his career as an investigating judge.
What is the principle of universal jurisdiction that Garzón used?
Universal jurisdiction is a principle in international law allowing national courts to prosecute individuals for serious crimes against humanity, regardless of where the crimes occurred. Judge Garzón famously applied this doctrine in the late 1990s to investigate human rights abuses committed during South American military dictatorships.
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