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Supreme Court Position Regarding the Implementation of International Law Crimes of the Past in Spain: a Legal Analysis after Reports of the un Working Group on Enforced Disappearance, the Committee on Enforced Disappearances and the un Special Rapporteur
La posición del Tribunal Supremo respecto a la aplicación del derecho internacional a los crímenes del pasado en España: Un análisis jurídico tras los informes del Grupo de Trabajo sobre Desapariciones Forzadas, el Comité contra la Desaparición Forzada y;
A posição do Tribunal Supremo a respeito da aplicação do Direito Internacional aos crimes do passado na Espanha: uma análise jurídica sobre os informes do Grupo de Trabalho sobre Desaparecimentos Forçados, o Comitê contra o Desaparecimento Forçado e o Rel
Author
Chinchón Álvarez, Javier
Vicente Márquez, Lydia
Moreno Pérez, Alicia
Institutions
Abstract
Along with the undeniable importance of the case, the judgment of the Spanish Supreme Court in the trial against Judge Baltasar Garzón accused of prevarication, having declared itself competent to investigate complaints for crimes committed during the Civil War and the Franco’s regime, it has had a determining significance: from then to now, the doctrine of the High Court has been almost literally followed by the remaining Spanish courts against any complaint concerning to crimes com- mitted before the last transition to democracy in Spain. This state of affairs has been repeatedly criticized by various bodies of the United Nations, expressly by the three that have visited Spain more recently: The UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, the Committee on Enforced Disappearances and the UN Special Rapporteur on the Promotion of Truth, Justice, Reparation and Guarantees of Non-Repetition. In this contribution will be presented and analysed transcendent positions defended by the Supreme Court regarding the application of international law to the past crimes in Spain and especially its configuration as crimes against humanity, the legal assessment about the enforced disappearance, and the validity and application of the 1977 Amnesty Law.