On October 15, 2009, the Spanish Congress of Deputies voted 319-5 to give final approval to a law limiting use of the country's universal jurisdiction statute to those offenses committed by or against Spaniards, or where the perpetrators are in Spain. The legislation was approved by the lower house in June 2009. The law only applied prospectively, allowing cases then being heard under universal jurisdiction to proceed, including investigations of Israeli actions in Gaza in 2002, detainee abuse at Guantanamo Bay and allegations of war crimes and genocide in Rwanda, Tibet, Guatemala and China.

Spanish coat of arms

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