Several Tibetan organizations have hailed the decision by Spain's Audiencia Nacional (National Court) to issue an arrest warrant against five Chinese leaders over genocide charges in Tibet. The leaders include former President Jiang Zemin (87, picture) and former Prime Minister Li Peng (86), Spanish newspaper El País says.

The Audiencia Nacional has accepted the lawsuit that two pro-Tibetan groups and a monk in Catalonia and Spain filed against China in 2006. The organizations (Spain's Tibet Support Committee and Catalonia's House of Tibet) argue that the Chinese Government implemented genocide policies in Tibet between 1972 and 2004.

Jiang was China's President from 1993 to 2003. Li was the Chinese Premier from 1987 to 1998.

Tibetan organizations around the world have hailed the decision by Spain's Audiencia Nacional. The International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) says the court has "sent a strong signal to the Chinese leadership". ICT underlines that "in making the ruling, the judges were acknowledging that there was ample and specific evidence to issue the order for arrest warrants".

Spain's Tibet Support Committee says that the arrest warrants are "good news for those who believe in justice"and for the "victims of Tibet's occupation and repression".

The warrants imply that any of the five Chinese leaders could be arrested if they travel to Spain or to any other country that recognizes Spanish orders.

Meanwhile, the Chinese Government has "sought clarification from Spain" about the arrest warrants, Reuters reports. Beijing has expressed "strong dissatisfaction" with the decision and has added that pro-Tibetan groups in Catalonia and Spain "repeatedly manipulate the issue".