Crusading judge banned for 11 years over tapping

Published on Friday 10 February 2012 00:45

Spain’s Supreme Court disbarred Judge Baltasar Garzon for 11 years yesterday for illegally tapping defence lawyers’ conversations, a move which may effectively end his career in international human rights trials.

Although less severe than a 20-year-ban the prosecution originally demanded, the ruling is not subject to appeal.

“We shall carry on fighting, carry on appealing. We have a long road ahead, but I believe both he and I are more than strong enough,” Garzon’s lawyer Javier Baena said.

Garzon is also on trial in two more cases, the more important of which is for allegedly abusing his authority by ordering an inquiry into the murder and disappearance of more than 100,000 people by forces loyal to late dictator Francisco Franco.

The judged grabbed headlines worldwide in 1998 by using international human rights law to order the arrest in London of former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet.

Garzon was already well-known in Spain for investigating Basque separatist group ETA. His probe into government death squads in the 1980s is credited with helping bring down the Socialist government in the 1996 elections.