Currently under indictment for "prevarication" in Madrid, Spain's star judge has requested a leave of absence to work as an "external consultant" for the International Criminal Court (ICC). According to Público, Garzón, who has been accused of abuses of power while investigating atrocities of the Franco regime "has been forced into exile." However, the daily also points out that his "temporary" transfer will have no effect on how his trial is conducted. In marked contrast, another Spanish daily which has long been hostile to Garzón, El Mundo, alleges that he is "seeking refuge in The Hague to avoid being suspended," and insists that the "past master in smoke screen tactics" and "attention seeking" will "undermine the credibility of the ICC."
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