BOLIVIA: SPANISH JUDGE BALTASAR GARZON PRAISES RECENT ACTIONS OF ARGENTINE GOVERNMENT TO PUNISH EX MILITARY OFFICIALS ACCUSED OF HUMAN RIGHTS CRIMES

Record ID: 647449

  • Title: BOLIVIA: SPANISH JUDGE BALTASAR GARZON PRAISES RECENT ACTIONS OF ARGENTINE GOVERNMENT TO PUNISH EX MILITARY OFFICIALS ACCUSED OF HUMAN RIGHTS CRIMES
  • Date: 2nd August 2003
  • Summary: (W1) LA PAZ, BOLIVIA (JULY 31, 2003) (REUTERS) 1. MV SPANISH JUDGE BALTASAR GARZON ENTERING NEWS CONFERENCE; SLV GARZON SITTING AT NEWS CONFERENCE 0.12 2. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) GARZON SAYING "I respect the decisions that the Argentine judicial authorities and the political authorities, made. Some consequences from these decisions will arise that, when they are produced well, we will have to confront them effectively and present a preference of sources or venues where determined crimes should be tried. Logically, in the first place is the venue where they committed the crimes and after, all the others. When crimes such as crimes against humanity, of genocide, of terrorism rule the principle of universal justice, at least it should be complemented with other principles." 1.03 4. SLV NEWS CONFERENCE 1.07 5. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SPANISH JUDGE BALTASAR GARZON, SAYING "With the immunity accords that the United States has signed, I believe that there are fifty countries that form part of the International Criminal Court and also some other resolution from the United Nations that extends the immunity of North American peacekeeping soldiers in the territory of Bosnia and of Kosovo. I can say that I do not support this type of accord because the situation is already covered in Article 98 of the Statute of the International Criminal Court and with the principle of complementing that is major in the Statute and given that the U.S. was included, this situation would be perfectly defined. I believe that generating pockets of impunity is not good because I would suppose would weaken the principle of equality of the law." 2.08 6. SLV NEWS CONFERENCE; SLV GARZON LEAVING 2.22 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 17th August 2003 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LA PAZ, BOLIVIA
  • Country: Bolivia
  • Reuters ID: LVA5WC8BGUX66IYMIIFMF56BIYVF
  • Story Text: Spanish Judge Baltasar Garzon has praised recent actions
    of the Argentine government to punish ex-military officials
    accused of human rights crimes during the Dirty War.

    Spanish judge Baltasar Garzon, known largely for his
    ultimately unsuccessful legal crusade against former
    Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet, applauded on Thursday
    (July 31) a recent decision by the Argentine government to
    permit the extradition of former military officials accused
    of human rights crimes during the 1976-1983 "Dirty War."
    "I respect the decisions that the Argentine judicial
    authorities and the political authorities made," he
    said at a news conference during a visit to Bolivia.

    Argentina's President Nestor Kirchner's decision last
    week to allow officers to be tried abroad came a day after
    a judge ordered the arrest of 45 of them at Garzon's
    request. Garzon accuses them of murdering hundreds of
    Spanish citizens in Argentina.

    However, the Spanish judge sounded a note of caution.

    "Some consequences from these decisions will arise that
    when they are produced well, we will have to confront
    them effectively and present a preference of sources or
    venues where determined crimes should be tried," he said.

    In the news conference, Garzon also criticised various
    accords that Washington signed with dozens of countries to
    gain immunity for U.S. citizens in the International
    Criminal Court (ICC).

    "I can say that I do not support this type of accord."
    he stated, adding that, "I believe that generating pockets
    of impunity is not good because I would suppose would
    weaken the principle of equality of the law."
    Washington announced on July 2 that it was suspending
    military assistance to 35 countries, including eight Latin
    American nations, due to their unwillingness to exempt U.S.

    citizens from being processed by the ICC.

    The Latin American countries include Brazil, Colombia,
    Costa Rica, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela.

    But Bolivia, Honduras and Panama, which have signed
    bilateral immunity accords with the U.S., will continue
    receiving military assistance.


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