The Audiencia Nacional has taken a first step in the investigation of the incident occurred last April 7 in Líbano by formally addressing Naciones Unidas to clarify if there is already an investigation underway regarding the retention of a Spanish military personnel within the framework of the international mission.
In a ruling signed by Judge Antonio Piña, the court requests the UN Secretary-General to confirm if the facts were brought to its attention in the context of the mission of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon and if they were transferred to the authorities of the Estado de Israel. This step occurs before the magistrate decides if Spanish jurisdiction can take on the case.
The judge also wants to know if any investigation has been initiated, either by Israel or through the internal mechanisms of the United Nations, given that the affected contingent operates under its organic and functional dependence. The query has been channeled through the Ministerio de la Presidencia, Justicia y Relaciones con las Cortes.
The events date back to April 7, when Israeli forces intercepted a logistical convoy of the mission in Lebanon and detained for less than an hour a Spanish sergeant. According to the complaint filed by the association Iustitia Europa, the military personnel was “forcibly removed” from his vehicle in what they describe as an “illegal detention” with the use of physical violence.
The complaint is directed against the prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, and against the leadership of the Israel Defense Forces, to whom are attributed alleged crimes of war crimes, coercion, and degrading treatment. After the incident, the Government of Spain, through the Ministry of Defense led by Margarita Robles, conveyed a formal protest to both the United Nations and the Israeli authorities.
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