OVIEDO, Spain

A Spanish court said Friday it has launched an investigation into the president of steelmaker Sidenor and other company leadership over the alleged illegal export of steel to Israel for weapons production.

Judge Francisco de Jorge of Spain’s Audiencia Nacional placed Sidenor President Jose Antonio Jainaga Gomez and two other executives under investigation for suspected smuggling and complicity in crimes against humanity or genocide.

According to a court statement, the probe centers on shipments of steel to Israel Military Industries (IMI) Systems, a weapons manufacturer, which were allegedly carried out with full awareness that the material would be used to produce arms.

In his ruling, the judge said the facts surrounding Israel’s military actions in Gaza are “public knowledge,” and cited reporting by global media, statements by UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese and the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), as well as preliminary assessments by the International Criminal Court as evidence for criminality.

The court is also examining whether Sidenor failed to obtain mandatory government authorization for the steel exports.

De Jorge, also named Clerbil, serves as the sole administrator of Sidenor Holdings Europa, as potentially liable in the case.

This summer, Sidenor announced it would halt all trade with Israel after Irish publication The Ditch reported that the company had shipped 1,207 tons of steel bars to Israeli weapons manufacturer IMI Systems over a 10-month period starting in August 2024.

Spain's government has said it suspended all arms trade with Israel since its onslaught in Gaza began, and it recently passed a bill to enshrine the embargo in legislation.