Spanish judges are boldly declaring their authority to prosecute high-ranking government officials in the United States, China and Israel, among other places, delighting human rights activists but enraging officials in the countries they target and triggering a political backlash in a nation uncomfortable acting as the world's conscience Full Story »
Posted by Glenn LaBauve
“Any country should be able to bring these cases, as long as they are democracies that belong to the United Nations,” Slepoy said.
Critics say the cases are influenced by politics. They note that the National Court has been quick to accept complaints about human rights abuses in Israel and the United States but has ignored problems in Syria, North Korea and Cuba.
“These guys are not proper judges from a professional point of view,” said Florentino Portero, a contemporary history professor at Madrid’s National Open University. “They are following a trend from the left wing of the Spanish political arena.”
Another reason for the US to join the world court
This should be how piracy on the high seas is handled instead of the current catch and release policy.