In Spain, a top judge is facing trial on allegations of overreaching his authority in a probe of human rights abuses during the Spanish Civil War and the Franco regime. Baltasar Garzón is reportedly set to be accused of opening the investigation without proper jurisdiction. Garzón is known worldwide for taking on international human rights cases. His actions include ordering the arrest of former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet in 1998, indicting Osama bin Laden for the 9/11 attacks, and probing the abuse of US prisoners at Guantánamo Bay. On Thursday, former Spanish prisoner Víctor Díaz-Cardiel joined hundreds of protesters to show support for Garzón.

Víctor Díaz-Cardiel: “When Judge Garzón opens a case against franquismo to provide knowledge, not only of the victims who ended up in ditches, but also the 140,000 people who disappeared, this should move every citizen of this country to be here to show support for this judge. He is one of the only people who has dared to do something like this.”