The National Court is investigating President of Sidenor for the sale of steel to an Israeli arms company

Eduardo González National Court Judge Francisco de Jorge has opened an investigation for smuggling and complicity in "a crime against humanity or genocide" against the president of the Spanish public company Siderúrgicas del Norte (Sidenor), José Antonio Jainaga, and two other executives for the sale of steel consignments to the company Israel Military Industries (IMSI) "with full knowledge that it is a manufacturer of weapons, both heavy and light, and that the material sold was going to be used for the manufacture of weapons." According to the judge, who lifted the confidentiality of the proceedings last Friday, the steel sale was carried out without requesting the corresponding government authorization or registering it, as stated in a letter from the General Information Commissioner's Office dated September 10. The three suspects in this proceeding, which began following a complaint from the Palestinian Community of Catalonia-Terra Santa Association, have been summoned to testify before the judge on November 12. The judge understands that "the events that occurred in Gaza are public knowledge, both due to the information published daily in the press and on television, and due to the provisional classification of these events as a crime by the International Criminal Court and the complaints filed by the UN Special Rapporteur, Francesca Albanese, and by UNRWA, among other individuals and United Nations agencies." Therefore, in the opinion of the investigating judge, these facts constitute "a crime of smuggling" as contemplated in the Organic Law on the Repression of Smuggling and "participation through complicity in a crime against humanity" as provided for in Articles 29 and 607 bis of the Criminal Code, or alternatively, "complicity in a crime of genocide" as provided in Article 607 of the same legal text. The judge of Central Investigative Court One considers that the facts are also attributable to the commercial company Clerbil SL, which holds the position of sole director of Sidenor Holdings Europa. On the contrary, he believes that, at this time, it is not appropriate to consider the commercial company Sidenor Aceros Especiales SLU as a legal entity under investigation, given the active role of its employees and their contribution to the public denunciation and to preventing the continuation of the allegedly criminal activity.

Related Content

Sánchez denounces, without mentioning any country, the “attack on Spain’s territorial integrity” in Ceuta

Meloni suspends the Schengen Area with Spain, and Sánchez responds that Italy receives twice as many irregular arrivals

Ana Sálomon, dismissed as Ambassador to Israel amidst Netanyahu's crisis, new Consul General in Perpignan

Italy could close the Schengen Area with Spain over the Ceuta crisis, and Albares summons the Italian ambassador.

France reinforces controls with Spain, and Borrell reminds Italy that “no state” can close the Schengen Area to another