February 18, 2010
Judge who indicted Pinochet to speak at UW
Baltasar Garzón, an investigating judge with Spain’s National Court who indicted Chilean dictator Augosto Pinochet, will speak at the UW School of Law at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 23, in 138 William H. Gates Hall.
Garzón is one of the six investigating judges for the Audiencia Nacional de España, the Spanish high court with national jurisdiction over cases that have national or international importance. Garzón came to international attention in 1998 when he issued an international warrant for the arrest of former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet for the alleged deaths and torture of Spanish citizens during his tenure.
The Chilean Truth Commission Report was the basis for the warrant, marking an unprecedented use of universal jurisdiction to attempt to try a former dictator for an international crime. The warrant was turned down when Britain refused Garzón’s request to have Pinochet extradited to Spain on grounds of Pinochet’s health.
Garzón has also played a key role in indicting suspected Basque terrorists and Guantanamo Bay detainees. Last year, Garzón announced that he was considering whether Spain should pursue charges against former officials from the U.S. government under President George W. Bush for offering justifications for torture.
Garzón’s lecture is part of the UW School of Law’s Gates Public Service Law Speaker Series and is co-sponsored by the UW Department of History and the Division of Spanish and Portuguese Studies.
