Spanish Judge Summons Iraqi for Alleged Killings - WSJ.com

Spanish Judge Summons Iraqi for Alleged Killings - WSJ.com: "Spanish judge has summoned a top Iraqi military commander, accused of having directed a 2009 assault on an Iraq-based camp holding Iranian opponents of Tehran's regime, to face charges of breaching the Geneva Convention, a spokesperson for Spain's National Court said Tuesday.

According to the writ signed by Judge Fernando Andreu, Lieutenant General Abdul-Hussein Shemmari must appear before the court March 8 to answer questions about his alleged role in the attack against the Ashraf refugee camp, which left 11 people killed and 450 wounded, the spokesperson said, confirming an earlier report in Spanish newspaper El Pais.

The indictment, the latest in a series of controversial summons by Spanish judges applying the 'universal justice' principle to take on international cases, comes amid a growing controversy over Iranian influence on Baghdad's government.

A statement from the chief lawyer in the case, Spain's Juan Garces, explicitly cites Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki by name, saying that Lt. Gen. Shemmari worked during the operation under the supervision of a committee responding to the prime minister's office. Mr. Maliki himself, believed by many to be close to pro-Iranian elements in Iraq, isn't accused or cited in the court summons."

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