Verdict expected in trial of judge who investigated Franco crimes

Feb 8, 2012, 10:53 GMT

Madrid - The trial of Baltasar Garzon, the judge who launched Spain's first judicial inquiry into the crimes of Francisco Franco's dictatorship, was to conclude Wednesday.

At the last Supreme Court hearing, two far-right groups that had sued Garzon asked for him to be suspended for 20 years. That would spell the end of the 56-year-old judge's career.

Garzon's defence and court prosecutors requested his acquittal. The plaintiffs were represented by private lawyers.

In 2008, Garzon launched Spain's first judicial inquiry into the crimes of Franco, whose dictatorship ended with his death in 1975.

He accused the late dictator and his collaborators of the killings of more than 100,000 opponents during the 1936-39 Spanish Civil War and the ensuing dictatorship.

The investigation came under pressure from some legal experts and conservative politicians, and Garzon finally transferred it to regional courts.

Two groups with ideological links to Francoism then sued Garzon, arguing that he had overstepped his authority and ignored an amnesty that was granted in 1977 for civil war-era crimes.

The judge maintained his innocence during the trial, saying he did his duty in investigating crimes against humanity that were not covered by the amnesty.

The amnesty, which was granted during Spain's transition from dictatorship to democracy, was aimed at allowing the divided nation to heal.

Garzon is internationally known for his attempt to extradite former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet in 1998. He has also investigated alleged human rights violations elsewhere, ranging from Argentina to Guantanamo and Western Sahara.