Spain probes steelmaker bosses for alleged trading with Israeli arms firm

Spain's top criminal court said it had opened an investigation into alleged complicity in crimes against humanity or genocide into executives at the steelmaker Sidenor for trading with an Israeli arms company.

Spain said it had stopped exchanging weapons with Israel after the war on Gaza started in October 2023.

The embargo formally became law this month as part of measures aiming to stop what Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has called a genocide in Gaza.

Sidenor's chairman Jose Antonio Jainaga Gomez and two other executives are being investigated for alleged smuggling and complicity in crimes against humanity or genocide for selling steel to Israel Military Industries, the Audiencia Nacional court said.

The Spanish firm sold the metal without requesting the government's permission or registering the transaction, and knew the material "was going to be used for the manufacturing of weapons", the court said in a statement.

It said the company itself was not being investigated because of whistleblower employees who contributed to the complaint and helped "prevent the continuation of the allegedly criminal activity".

The investigating judge has summoned the three suspects to testify on 12 November in the case, initiated after a complaint by a pro-Palestinian association.

Sidenor did not respond to an AFP request for comment.

Reporting by AFP