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Crimes Crime of Aggression
No specific provision. However, Spain ratified the Kampala amendments to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court on the Crime of Aggression on 25 September 2014. See:
Latvia, Poland and Spain ratify the amendments to the Rome Statute on article 8 related to war crimes and on the crime of aggression
ICC-ASP-20140929-PR1044, Assembly of States Parties to the International Criminal Court, 29 September 2014. [ENG]España, Letonia y Polonia ratifican las enmiendas del Estatuto de Roma relativas al artículo 8, referente a los crímenes de guerra, y al crimen de agresión
Comunicado de Prensa ICC-ASP-20140929-PR1044, Nueva York, 29 septiembre 2014. [SPA]Ley Orgánica 5/2014 por la que se autoriza la ratificación de las Enmiendas al Estatuto de Roma de la Corte Penal Internacional
Boletín Oficial del Estado, núm. 227, sec. 1, pág. 72966, Madrid, 18 septiembre 2014. [SPA]Crimes Against Humanity
Organic Law 15/2003 amended the Spanish Criminal Code so as to include a chapter on crimes against humanity (Chapter II BIS). Crimes against humanity are defined in Article 607 bis of the Criminal Code in the following way: "CHAPTER II BIS
Original full text in Spanish:
On crimes against humanity
Article 607 bis
1. Conviction for crimes against humanity shall befall whoever commits the acts foreseen in the following Section as part of a widespread or systematic attack on the civil population or against part thereof.
In all cases, committing such acts shall be deemed a crime against humanity when:1. Due to the victim pertaining to a group or community persecuted for political, racial, national, ethnic, cultural, religious or another kind of reasons, disability, or other motives universally recognised as unacceptable under International Law;
2. Those convicted of crimes against humanity shall be punished:
2. In the context of an institutionalised regime of systematic oppression and domination of a racial group over one or more racial groups and with the intention of maintaining such a regime.1. With a sentence of imprisonment from fifteen to twenty years if they cause the death of any person. A punishment higher in one degree shall be imposed if any of the circumstances foreseen in Article 139 concur;
2. With a sentence of imprisonment from twelve to fifteen years if they commit rape, and from four to six years imprisonment if the act were to consist of any ether type of sexual assault;
3. With a sentence of imprisonment from twelve to fifteen years if any of the injuries of Article 149 were to take place and from eight to twelve years imprisonment if persons are subjected to conditions of existence that endanger their life or seriously affect their health, or when they are caused any of the injuries foreseen in Article 150. A sentence of imprisonment from four to eight years shall be applied if they commit any of the injuries of Article 147;
4. With a sentence of imprisonment from eight to twelve years if they deport or forcibly transport one or more persons from one State or place to another, by expulsion or ether acts of coercion without authorised reasons;
5. With a sentence of imprisonment from six to eight years if they were to forcibly make pregnant any woman in order to modify the ethnic composition of the population, without prejudice to the relevant punishment, as appropriate, for other felonies
6. With a sentence of imprisonment from twelve to fifteen years when they detain any person and refuse to recognise that custodial sentence or to report on the situation or whereabouts of the person arrested;
7.With a sentence of imprisonment from eight to twelve years if they were to arrest a person, depriving him of his liberty, with breach of the international rules on arrest. The punishment shall be imposed at a lower degree when the arrest lasts less than fifteen days;
8. With the punishment from four to eight years imprisonment if they commit serious torture of persons they have under their custody or control and of imprisonment from two to six years if less serious. For the purposes of this Article, torture shall be construed as submitting a person to physical or mental suffering. The punishment foreseen in this Sub-Section shall be imposed without prejudice to the relevant penalties, as appropriate, for the violations of other rights of the victim;
9. With a sentence of imprisonment from four to eight years if they commit any of the conducts related to prostitution defined in Article 187.1, and with that of six to eight years in the cases foreseen in Article 188.1. The punishment shall be imposed from six to eight years on whoever transports persons from one place to another with the intent to sexually exploit them, using violence, intimidation or deceit, or abusing a situation of superiority or need or the vulnerability of the victim. When the conduct foreseen in the preceding Section and in Article 188.1 is committed against minors or the incapacitated, the higher degree penalties shall be imposed;
10. With a sentence of imprisonment from four to eight years if any person is subjected to slavery or kept in servitude. The punishment shall be applied without prejudice to the appropriate ones for the specific violations committed against the rights of persons. Slavery shall be construed as the situation of a person over whom another exercises, albeit de facto, all and some of the attributes of the right of property, such as buying, selling, lending or exchanging such person."
[Excerpted from: Criminal Code, 2013. Ed. Ministry of Justice, Sworn translation by Clinter.]
Ley Orgánica 10/1995, del Código Penal. Versión consolidada a 28 abril 2015.
(Criminal Code of 1995, with amendments up to 28 April 2015).
Boletín Oficial del Estado, núm. 281, Madrid, 24 noviembre 1995. [SPA]
Ley Orgánica 15/2003, de 25 de noviembre, por la que se modifica la Ley Orgánica 10/1995, de 23 de noviembre, del Código Penal.
(Organic Law 15/2003 modifying Organic Law 10/1995 of the Criminal Code)
Boletín Oficial del Estado, núm. 283, Madrid, 26 noviembre 2003. [SPA]Genocide
Genocide is a criminal offense under Article 607 of the Spanish criminal code:
"CHAPTER II
Original full text in Spanish:
Crimes of genocide
Article 607
1.Those who, aiming to fully or partially exterminate a national, ethnic, racial, religious or specific group determined by the disability of its members, commit any of the following acts, shall be punished:1. With a sentence of imprisonment from fifteen to twenty years, if they were to kill any of its members. If two or more aggravating circumstances were to concur in the act, the higher degree punishment shall be imposed;
2. Diffusion by any means of ideas or doctrines that deny or justify the crimes defined in the preceding Section of this Article, or that aim to reinstate regimes or institutions that protect practices that generate these shall be punished with a sentence of imprisonment from one to two years."
2. With imprisonment from fifteen to twenty years, if they were to sexually assault any of its members or cause any of the injuries foreseen in Article 149;
3. With imprisonment from eight to fifteen years, if they were to subject the group or any of its members to conditions of existence that endanger their life or seriously affect their health, or when any of the injuries foreseen in Article 150 are caused;
4. With the same punishment, if forcible transportation of the group or its members are carried out, if they adopt any measure aimed at preventing their lifestyle or procreation, or if they forcibly transfer individuals from one group to another;
5. With imprisonment from four to eight years, if they were to cause any injury other than that stated in Sub- Sections 2 and 3 of this Section.
[Excerpted from: Criminal Code, 2013. Ed. Ministry of Justice, Sworn translation by Clinter.]
Ley Orgánica 10/1995, del Código Penal. Versión consolidada a 28 abril 2015.
(Criminal Code of 1995, with amendments up to 28 April 2015).
Boletín Oficial del Estado, núm. 281, Madrid, 24 noviembre 1995. [SPA]War Crimes
War crimes are included in Articles 608 to 614 bis of the Criminal Code:
"CHAPTER III
Original full text in Spanish:
On crimes against protected persons and assets in the event of armed conflict
Article 608
For the purposes of this Chapter, the following are intended as protected persons:
1. The wounded, the sick or shipwrecked, and the medical or religious personnel protected by the First and Second Geneva Conventions dated on 12th August 1949, or the First Additional Protocol dated on 8th June 1977;
2. Prisoners of war protected by the Third Geneva Convention dated on 12"' August 1949 or the First Additional Protocol dated on 8th June 1977;
3. The civilian population and individual civilian protected by the Fourth Geneva Convention dated on 12th August 1949 and by the First Additional Protocol dated on 8th June 1977;
4. Non-combatants and the personnel of the Protecting Power and its Substitute protected by the Geneva Conventions dated on 12th August 1949 or by the First Additional Protocol dated on 8th June 1977.
5. Parliamentarians and the persons accompanying them, protected by the Second Convention of The Hague dated on 29th July 1899;
6. The United Nations and associated personnel, protected by the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel, dated on 9th December 1994;
7. Any others with that status by virtue of the Second Additional Protocol dated 8th June 1977, or any other international treaties to which Spain is a party.
Article 609
Whoever, during an armed conflict, physically abuses or seriously endangers the life, health or integrity of any protected person, subjects him to torture or inhumane treatment, including biological experiments, causes him serious suffering or subjects him to any medical act that is not in keeping with his state of health, nor according to the generally recognised medical standards that the Party responsible would apply to its own nationals not detained under similar medical circumstances, shall be punished with a sentence of imprisonment from four to eight years, without prejudice to the punishment that might be appropriate for the damaging results caused.
Article 610
Whoever, during an armed conflict, uses or orders methods or means of combat that are prohibited or intended to cause unnecessary suffering or superfluous harm, as well as those conceived to cause, or that can be reasonably be expected to cause extensive, lasting and serious damage to the natural environment, compromising the health or survival of the population, or who orders all-out war, shall be punished with a sentence of imprisonment from ten to fifteen years, without prejudice to the relevant punishment for the results caused.
Article 611
Whoever perpetrates the following acts during an armed conflict shall be punished with a sentence of imprisonment from ten to fifteen years, without prejudice to the relevant punishment for the results caused:
1. Conducts or orders indiscriminate or excessive attacks or makes the civil population the target of attacks, retaliation or acts or threats of violence, the main purpose of which is to strike fear therein;.
2. Destroys or damages, breaching the rules of International Law applicable to armed conflicts, the non-military ships or aircraft of an adversary or neutral party, unnecessarily and without allowing lime or without adopting the necessary measures to provide for the safety of persons and conservation of the ship's papers;
3. Forces a prisoner of war or a civilian to serve, in any way, in the Armed Forces of the adversary, or deprives him of his right to a due and impartial process of law;
4. Deports, forcibly transports, takes hostage or unlawfully detains or confines any protected person or uses him to protect certain military locations, zones or forces from an attack by the adversary;
5.Transports and settles population from the side occupying, directly or indirectly, in the occupied territory, to reside there permanently;
6. Perpetrates, orders the carrying out or maintains, with regard to any protected person, practices of racial segregation and other inhumane and degrading practices based on other distinctions of an unfavourable nature, that amount to an outrage against personal dignity;
7. Prevents or delays, without reason, the release or repatriation of prisoners of war or civilians;
8. Declares the rights and actions by the nationals of the adversary to be abolished, suspended or inadmissible before a Judge or Court of Law;
9.Attacks the sexual freedom of a protected person by committing acts of rape, sexual slavery, induced or forced prostitution, forced pregnancy, forced sterilisation or any other kind of sexual assault.
Article 612
Whoever perpetrates the following acts during an armed conflict shall be punished with a sentence of imprisonment of three to seven years, without prejudice to the relevant punishment for the results caused:
1.Knowingly violates the protection due to hospitals, installations, materiel, units and means for health transport, prisoner camps, sanitary and safety zones and locations, neutralised zones, locations for internment of the civil population, undefended locations and demilitarised zones, made known by the appropriate and distinctive signs;
2.Acts with violence against the medical or religious staff or those forming medical missions or aid organisations, or against the personnel authorised to use then signs and distinctive signals, established by the Geneva Conventions, pursuant to International Law;
3.Severely abuses, deprives or does not ensure the essential food or necessary medical assistance to any protected person, or subjects him to humiliating or degrading treatment, fails to inform him of his situation without justified delay, and in a comprehensible manner, imposes collective punishment for individual acts, or infringes the requisites for accommodation of women and families, or for special of women and children established in the international treaties to which Spain is a party, and in particular, who recruits or enrols persons under the age of eighteen or uses them to participate directly in the hostilities;
4.Unduly uses the protective or distinctive signs, emblems or signals established and recognised in the international treaties to which Spain is a party, especially the distinctive signs of the Red Cross, of the Red Crescent and the Red Crystal.
5. Unduly or perfidiously uses a flag, uniform, insignia or distinctive emblem of neutral States, of the United Nations or ether States that are not parties to the conflict, of the adversaries, during attacks or to cover, favour, protect or hinder military operations, except in the cases specifically foreseen in the international treaties to which Spain is a party;
6.Unduly or perfidiously uses the flag of parley or surrender to attack the inviolability or unduly retain the negotiator or any of the persons accompanying him, personnel of the Protecting Power or its Substitute, or a member of an International Fact Finding Commission;
7. Strips a corpse, the wounded, sick, shipwrecked, prisoner of war or interned civilian of his belongings;
8. Intentionally starves the civilian population as a means of warfare, depriving it of the indispensable resources for survival, including the act of randomly obstructing aid supplies conducted pursuant to the Geneva Conventions and its Additional Protocols;
9.Violates a ceasefire, armistice, capitulation or another arrangement made with the adversary;
10. Intentionally attacks any member of the United Nations and associated personnel, or that participating in a peace or humanitarian aid mission pursuant to the United Nations Charter, as long as they are entitled to the protection granted to civilians or civil objects, pursuant to International Law on armed conflicts, or threaten them with such an attack to oblige a natural or legal person to carry out or abstain from carrying out any act.
Article 613
1. Whoever perpetrates or orders any of the following actions during an armed conflict shall be punished with a sentence of imprisonment from four to six years:a) Attacks or targets cultural property or places of worship that are the cultural or spiritual heritage of persons as an object of reprisals or acts of hostility, as long as those assets or locations are not in the immediate vicinity of a military objective and are not used to support the military effort by the adversary and are duly marked;
2. When the reprisal, act of hostility or undue use targets cultural property or places of worship under special protection, or those granted protection by virtue of special agreements, or buildings that are cultural property or places of worship under reinforced protection, or their immediate surroundings, the higher degree punishment may be handed down.
b) Makes undue use of the cultural property or places of worship referred to in Sub-Section a) to support military action;
c) Appropriates on a large scale, robs, sacks or perpetrates acts of vandalism against the cultural property or places of worship referred to in Sub-Section a);
d) Attacks or makes assets of a civil nature of the adversary a target for reprisals or acts of hostility, when this does not provide, under the circumstances of the case, a defined military advantage, or when those assets do not contribute effectively to the military action of the adversary;
e) Attacks, destroys, removes or puts assets that are indispensable for survival of the civilian population out of service, except if the adversary uses those assets to directly support military action, or exclusively as a means of subsistence for members of its armed forces;
f) Attacks or makes works or facilities that contain hazardous substances or energy the target of reprisals when such attacks might cause those substances to be released and thus cause major damage to the civilian population, except if those works or installations are used to support in a regular, significant and direct way military operations and those attacks are the only feasible way to end that support;
g) Destroys, damages or seizes, without military need, items that do not belong to him. obliging another to hand them over or perpetrating any ether acts of pillage;
h) Unduly or unnecessarily confiscates moveable personal or real property in the occupied territory or destroys non-military ships or aircraft and their cargo, of an adversary or neutral party, or captures them in breach of the applicable international provisions on armed conflicts at sea;
i) Attacks or carries out acts of hostility against installations, material, units, private residences or vehicles of any member of the personnel stated in Section 10 of Article 612, or threatens to carry out such attacks or acts of hostility to oblige a natural or legal person to carry out or to abstain from carrying out any act.
In the other cases foreseen in the preceding Section of this Article, the higher degree punishment may be imposed when extensive, major destruction is caused to assets, works or facilities covered by these, or in cases of extreme severity.
Article 614
Whoever, during an armed conflict, perpetrates or orders any other violations or acts contrary to the provisions of the international treaties to which Spain is a party and related to how hostilities are conducted, regulation of the means and methods of combat, protection of the wounded, the sick and shipwrecked, due treatment of prisoners of war, protection of civilians and protection of cultural property in the case of armed conflict, shall be punished with a sentence of imprisonment of six months to two years.
Article 614 bis
When any of the conducts set forth in this Chapter form part of a plan or policy or are committed on a major scale, the upper half of the respective penalties shall be applied."
[Excerpted from: Criminal Code, 2013. Ed. Ministry of Justice, Sworn translation by Clinter.]
Ley Orgánica 10/1995, del Código Penal. Versión consolidada a 28 abril 2015.
(Criminal Code of 1995, with amendments up to 28 April 2015).
Boletín Oficial del Estado, núm. 281, Madrid, 24 noviembre 1995. [SPA]
Related documents:
Ley Orgánica 8/2014, de 4 de diciembre, de Régimen Disciplinario de las Fuerzas Armadas.
(Organic Law for the Armed Forces Disciplinary Rules).
Boletín Oficial del Estado, núm. 294, Madrid, 05 diciembre 2014. [SPA]
Real Decreto 1513/2007 por el que se crea y regula la Comisión Española de Derecho Internacional Humanitario.
(Royal Decree creating the National Commission on International Humanitarian Law).
Boletín Oficial del Estado, núm. 283, pp. 48303-48305, Madrid, 26 noviembre 2007. [SPA]
Real Decreto 415/1996 por el que se establece las normas de ordenación de la Cruz Roja Española.
(The Spanish Red Cross Society Act).
Boletín Oficial del Estado, núm. 56, pp. 8638-8640, Madrid, 05 marzo 1996. [SPA]
Jurisdiction The jurisdiction of Spanish courts over crimes against humanity, genocide and war crimes is provided for under Article 23.4 of the Organic Law on the Judicial Power (Organic Law 6/1985 of July 1, 1985).
On 15th March 2014 the Organic Law 1/2014 of 13th March concerning "universal justice" entered into force, amending Organic Law 6/1985 of the Judicial Power to limit the jurisdiction of the Spanish courts regarding these crimes. As a result, several ongoing proceedings before the Audiencia Nacional were closed.
The new wording of Article 23.4 of the Organic Law on the Judicial Power (the "LOPJ") in relation to crimes against humanity, genocide and war crimes is the following:
Article 23
[...]
4. Likewise, the Spanish courts will be competent to hear cases where the acts were committed by Spanish nationals or foreign nationals outside national territory if, according to Spanish law, they are capable of being characterised as one of the following crimes and when they comply with the specified conditions:a) Genocide, crimes against humanity or against persons or protected property in the event of an armed conflict provided always that the proceedings are brought against a Spanish citizen or a foreign citizen who is habitually resident in Spain, or a foreigner who is found in Spain and whose extradition had been denied by Spanish authorities.
[...]The sole Transitory Provision of this Law provides:
Those cases which are pending at the moment that this Law comes into force for the crimes [crimes against humanity, crimes of war, etc.] to which this Law refers shall be discontinued until they can be shown to have complied with the provisions of the same.
Original full text in Spanish:Ley Orgánica 1/2014, de 13 de marzo, de modificación de la Ley Orgánica 6/1985, de 1 de julio, del Poder Judicial, relativa a la justicia universal.
( Organic Law 1/2014 on universal justice modifying the Organic Law 6/1985 of the Judicial Power).
Boletín Oficial del Estado, núm. 63, Sec. I, p. 23026, Madrid, 14 marzo 2014. [SPA]
Ley Orgánica del Poder Judicial. (Organic Law of the Judicial Power).
Ley Orgánica 6/1985, de 1 de julio, del Poder Judicial. (Texto consolidado. Última modificación: 28 de octubre de 2015).
Boletín Oficial del Estado, núm. 157, Madrid, 02 julio 1985. [SPA]
There have been two reforms of the Organic Law on the Judicial Power directed at narrowing the jurisdictional regime of the Spanish courts regarding crimes gaainst humanity, genocide and war crimes. The first one took place in 2009 (its legislative history is provided below) within he framework of the establishment of a New Judicial Office ("Nueva Oficina Judicial"), and not through an ad hoc amendment, which turned the whole parliamentary process more opaque; the second one was operated by means of the Organic Law 1/2014 of 13th March 2014, mentioned above, and was basically aimed at the of closing the onging SS Totenkopf case (also known as the "Mauthausen Case") before the Audiencia Nacional at Madrid, the last possible case for the Spanish victims of the WWII extermination camps. This official move was due to the potential impact of this case in respect of the question of impunity and the lack of legal recognition of the victims of Francoism in Spain.Ingeniería parlamentaria (reforma de 2009) / Parliamentary engineering (2009 reform)
Dictamen de la Comisión de Justicia del Senado en relación con el Proyecto de Ley Orgánica complementaria de la Ley de Reforma de la Legislación Procesal para la Implantación de la Nueva Oficina Judicial, por la que se limita el alcance del principio de jurisdicción universal modificando la LOPJ.
Boletín Oficial de las Cortes Generales, Senado, IX Legislatura, Serie II: Proyectos de Ley, Núm. 18 (d) (Cong. Diputados, Serie A, núm. 28 Núm. exp. 121/000028), 07oct09. [SPA]Texto completo del Informe de la Ponencia que contiene la nueva redacción del art. 23 LOPJ limitativa del alcance del principio de jurisdicción universal penal.
Boletín Oficial de las Cortes Generales, Congreso de los Diputados, IX Legislatura, Serie A: PROYECTOS DE LEY, Núm. 28-1, 24jun09. [SPA]Voto Particular del Grupo Parlamentario de Esquerra Republicana-Izquierda Unida-Iniciativa Per Catalunya Verds proponiendo el rechazo de la Enmienda 676, que contiene la reforma de la LOPJ en materia de jurisdicción universal.
Grupo Parlamentario de Esquerra Republicana-Izquierda Unida-Iniciativa Per Catalunya Verds, Congreso de los Diputados, Madrid, Esp, 19jun09. [SPA]Enmienda núm. 676 mediante la que se reforma el art. 23 de la LOPJ para limitar el alcance del principio de jurisdicción universal penal.
Boletín Oficial de las Cortes Generales, Congreso de los Diputados, IX legislatura, SerieA: Proyectos de Ley, Núm. 17-17, 05jun09. [SPA]Resolución núm. 39 por la que se decide "Promover con urgencia la reforma del artículo 23 de la LOPJ, a fin de limitar y clarificar el alcance del principio de jurisdicción universal penal".
Boletín Oficial de las Cortes Generales, Congreso de los Diputados, IX legislatura, Serie D: General, Núm. 208, 26may09. [SPA]Detalle del resultado de la votación de la Resolución por la que se decide "Promover con urgencia la reforma del artículo 23 de la LOPJ, a fin de limitar y clarificar el alcance del principio de jurisdicción universal penal".
Propuestas de resolución relativas al Debate de Política General en torno al Estado de la Nación del G.P.Popular, Congreso de los Diputados, Madrid, Esp, 19may09. [SPA]Resultado de la votación de la propuesta de resolución instando a la reforma irgente de la LOPJ en lo que hace al alcance del principio de jurisdicción universal penal.
Diario de Sesiones del Congreso de los Diputados, Cortes Generales, Pleno y Diputación Permanente, IX Legislatura, Sesión plenaria núm. 78 celebrada el martes 19 de mayo de 2009, Núm. 83, 19may09. [SPA]Enmienda de sustitución a la Propuesta de Resolución Núm. 72 del Grupo Popular introducida por el Grupo Parlamentario Socialista en el Congreso.
Grupo Socialista del Congreso, Cortes Generales, Madrid, España. [SPA]Propuesta de Resolución núm. 72 planteada por el PP en el Debate de Política General en torno al Estado de la Nación para reformar el art. 23 de la LOPJ a fin de limitar el alcance del principio de jurisdicción universal penal.
Boletín Oficial de las Cortes Generales, Congreso de los Diputados, IX legislatura, Serie D: General, Núm. 208, 26may09.
Fecha de la Propuesta: 14may09. Esta propuesta fue objeto de una enmienda de sustitución planteada por el Grupo Socialista, Enmienda núm. 196. La Propuesta número 72 en los términos de la enmienda 196 del Grupo Socialista fue aprobada por 339 votos a favor, 8 en contra y una abstención en la sesión plenaria de 19may09. La resolución final, en los mismos términos, fue aprobada en la sesión plenaria del Congreso del 26may09 como Resolución núm. 39 "Reformas urgentes de Justicia". [SPA]Common Provisions
➤ Articles 131 and 133 of the Criminal Code of Spain provides the following regarding the non-applicability of statutory limitations:
Article 131
➤ Article 451 of the Criminal Code provides the following regarding covering up:
[...]
4. Crimes against humanity and of genocide and offences against persons and assets protected in the case of armed conflict, except those punished under Article 614, shall not have a statute of limitations.
Nor shall offences of terrorism have a statute of limitations, if they have caused the death of a person.
[...]
[Excerpted from: Criminal Code, 2013. Ed. Ministry of Justice, Sworn translation by Clinter.]
Article 133
[...]
Penalties imposed for crimes against humanity and of genocide and for offences against persons and assets protected in the event of armed conflict, except those punished under Article 614, shall not have a statute of limitations.
Nor shall penalties for offences of terrorism have a statute of limitations, if the latter have caused the death of a person.
[Excerpted from: Criminal Code, 2013. Ed. Ministry of Justice, Sworn translation by Clinter.]Article 451
➤ Article 510 of the Criminal Code punishes the denial and apologism of genocide, crimes against humanity and crimes against protected persons and assets in the event of armed conflict.
Whoever has knowledge of a felony committed and, without having intervened in it as a principal, subsequently in its execution, in any of the following manners, shall be punished with a sentence of imprisonment of six months to three years:
[...]
3. Aiding the suspected criminal to avoid investigation by the authority or its agents, or to scape search or capture, whenever any of the following circumstances concur:a) That the act covered up amounts to treason, regicide, the homicide of any of the King's ascendants or descendants, of the Queen Consort or the Consort of the Queen, the Regent or any other member of the Regency, of the Heir to the Throne, genocide, crimes against humanity, crimes against protected persons and assets in the event of armed conflict, rebellion, terrorism, homicide, piracy, trafficking in human beings or trafficking in human organs;
[Excerpted from: Criminal Code, 2013. Ed. Ministry of Justice, Sworn translation by Clinter.]
b) When the person abetting has acted in abuse of his public functions. In this case, in addition to the punishment of custodial sentence, that of special barring from public employment and office for a term of two to four years shall be imposed if the felony concealed is less serious, and of absolute barring for a term from six to twelve years if it is serious.
Original full text in Spanish:
Ley Orgánica 10/1995, del Código Penal. Versión consolidada a 28 abril 2015.
(Criminal Code of 1995, with amendments up to 28 April 2015).
Boletín Oficial del Estado, núm. 281, Madrid, 24 noviembre 1995. [SPA]Related Documents
Spain: National Procedures for Extradition. Ministry of Justice of Spain, Madrid, 2012. [ENG]
Organic Act 2/2003 Complementing the European Arrest Warrant Act. Council of Europe, 12 May 2015. [ENG]
ICTY and ICTR
Ley Orgánica 15/1994, de 1 de junio, para la cooperación con el Tribunal Internacional para la ex-Yugoslavia.
(Organic Law 15/1994 on Cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia).
Boletín Oficial del Estado, núm. 131, pp.17399-17400, 02 junio 1994. [SPA]
Ley Orgánica 4/1998, de 1 de julio, para la Cooperación con el Tribunal internacional para Ruanda.
(Organic Law 4/1998 on Cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda).
Boletín Oficial del Estado, núm. 157, Madrid, 02 julio 1998. [SPA]
International Criminal Court
Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court: The Kingdom of Spain signed the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court on 18 July 1998 and deposited its instrument of ratification on 24 October 2000.Organic Act on Cooperation with the International Criminal Court / Ley Orgánica de Cooperación con la Corte Penal Internacional:
Articles and Reports:
- Ley Orgánica 18/2003, de 10 de diciembre, de Cooperación con la Corte Penal Internacional.
(Organic Act on Cooperation with the International Criminal Court).
Boletín Oficial del Estado, núm. 296, Madrid, 11 diciembre 2003. [SPA]- Informe del Pleno del Consejo General del Poder Judicial.
Pleno del Consejo General del Poder Judicial, Madrid, 09 enero 2003. [SPA]- Voto Particular de María Angeles García y Alfons López Tena.
Pleno del Consejo General del Poder Judicial, Madrid, 09 enero 2003. [SPA]- Informe del Consejo de Estado sobre el anteproyecto de Ley Orgánica de Cooperación con la Corte Penal Internacional.
Pleno del Consejo de Estado, Madrid, 05 mayo 2003. [SPA]- Informe sobre el anteproyecto de Ley Orgánica de Cooperación con la Corte Penal Internacional.
Fiscalía General del Estado, Madrid, junio 2003. [SPA]- Proyecto de Ley Orgánica de Cooperación con la Corte Penal Internacional.
Consejo de Ministros, Madrid, 30 mayo 2003. [SPA]- Anteproyecto de Ley Orgánica de Cooperación con la Corte Penal Internacional.
Ministerio de Justicia, Madrid, 05 diciembre 2002. [SPA]- Dictamen del Consejo de Estado No. 1.374/99/MM sobre el Estatuto de Roma de la Corte Penal Internacional.
(Opinion on the Rome Statute, Council of State, 22 August 1999).
Consejo de Estado, 22 julio 1999. [SPA]El Gobierno español prepara una ley de colaboración con la Corte que elimina el acceso de las víctimas a los procesos en la Corte Penal Internacional. (The law on Cooperation with the International Criminal Court under preparation by the Spanish Government would hinder victim's access to the ICC)
Por José Antonio Alonso (Vocal del CGPJ), Diario El País, 23 diciembre 2002. [SPA]Informe del Equipo Nizkor sobre el proceso de adecuación de la legislación española al Estatuto de la Corte Penal Internacional. (Equipo Nizkor's report about the process of adaptation of Spanish legislation to the Rome Statute)
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