Spanish Justice

As reported by Pagina 12(original in Spanish), , yesterday the Spanish justice ordered the detention of Guatemalan former dictators, Efraín Rios Montt and Humberto Mejia Victores and another 5 generals for the crimes of genocide, terrorism, murder, tortures and illegal detentions. Spanish Judge Santiago Pedraz ordered the international capture of all 7 as well as blocking their bank accounts in Guatemala whether on their name, their legal representatives or any other person.  
   
This means that none of them will be able to leave Guatemala; they will be detained in the border or airports of any country, and wait their extradition to Spain. The judge, in order to prevent them from evading justice, has also ordered the blocking of any account that they might have abroad, specially in the US and Switzerland, which is where most dictators prefer to stash their cash.  

They are accused of the killing of 250.000 Mayan indigenous, plus 30 people killed in the Spanish embassy, and also of killing 5 Spanish priests

The Spanish Constitutional Court affirmed October 5th 2005 in an Historical decision that Spain is competent to judge crimes of genocide and crimes against humanity which take place outside Spain, Although there are no Spanish Victims understanding that the “principle of universal jurisdiction primes on the existence or not of national interests”

 From Alternet:    

A Spanish judge arrived in Guatemala on Saturday to investigate atrocities committed during the Central American nation’s armed conflict, but local officials might not allow him to proceed…

It is part of a case brought by Guatemalan Nobel Peace Prize winner Rigoberta Menchu. She filed it in Spain in 1999 to try people responsible for wartime abuses including the 1980 military assault on the Spanish Embassy in which 37 people died, among them her father…

It was unclear whether a Guatemalan judge would allow hearings after legal appeals by Rios Montt and others delayed the process indefinitely…

The accused are obstructing the process by presenting appeals and other demands in the Guatemalan court system,” said Menchu, now a goodwill ambassador for the 1996 peace accords in the Guatemalan government…

They had the chance to confront the Guatemalan courts but now they will do so in Spain
You got to love these Spanish Judges. First Pinochet, now these Guatemalans. Will they ever decide to do the same to George Bush? Personally I believe that sooner or later someone will dare to place an international warrant for his arrest, especially after a democrat is elected here.