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The Madrid government is preparing to change the law to limit the jurisdiction of Spanish courts handling genocide cases occurring outside Spain, reports El País
The decision follows the issuing of a warrant on November 19 for the arrest of former Chinese president Jiang Zemin and former prime minister Li Peng on genocide charges after a Tibetan-born Spanish citizen filed a case with the Audiencia Nacional, one of the highest judicial authorities in the country.
The reform will limit the court to only hearing cases in which the victim were Spanish citizens at the moment when the crime occurred. Cases will also be subject to a veto by the Spanish Council of Ministers, which will judge whether the prosecution is "in the public interest," explains the daily.
The Spanish government wants to ensure that the universal jurisdiction of Spanish courts will not threaten diplomatic and economic relations with other countries, especially ones with China's importance.
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