Court won't dismiss case against Garzon

MADRID, Jan. 31 (UPI) -- A request to throw out a case against Judge Balthazar Garzon was rejected by the Spanish Supreme Court on Tuesday, officials say.

Garzon is accused of overstepping his authority by ordering an inquiry into massacres carried out by forces loyal to former dictator General Franco.

Two groups accuse Garzon of violating a 1977 Franco-era amnesty law -- Manos Limpias (Clean Hands) and Libertad e Identitdad (Liberty and Identity). Garzon has argued that no amnesty can vouch for crimes against humanity.

Outside Spain, Garzon is best known for securing the London arrest of former Chilean leader Augusto Pinochet in 1998. ThinkSpain reports thousands of people demonstrated in Garzon's support in Madrid on Sunday.