European jurists call for Spain to allow Garzón back on bench
Association representing justices from 11 EU countries presents petition to the Justice Ministry
The association European Magistrates for Democracy and Freedom (Medel), representing 15,000 justices from 11 EU countries, on Friday presented a petition to the Justice Ministry to have Baltasar Garzón restored to the bench. The famous Spanish judge was suspended from High Court duties for 11 years by a Supreme Court panel in February for ordering illegal wiretaps in the Gürtel corruption case.
The petition called the ruling “extraordinary, indiscriminate and completely disproportionate.” Medel also pointed to Garzón’s “overwhelming” service in tackling terrorism, drug-trafficking and crimes against humanity, adding: “One thousand cases with 8,000 people charged” amply demonstrated this.
