A new law was voted in Spain’s parliament which allows some former ETA Basque militia prisoners to serve shorter sentences if they served previous sentences abroad.
On Saturday, the Official State Gazette, which publishes legislation issued by the Spanish State, announced the change in the law on the exchange of criminal records and the consideration of judicial decisions in the European Union.
It will allow former ETA prisoners who have already served sentences abroad, for example, in France, to leave prison in Spain earlier.
ETA, or Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (Basque Homeland and Liberty) was a separatist Basque organization founded in 1959, during the height of Francisco Franco’s dictatorship, aiming to establish the Basque region as an independent state from Spain.
It evolved into a violent paramilitary group and was engaged in a bombing campaign, assassinations and kidnappings throughout Spain. Between 1960 and 2003 (almost 30 years after the fall of Franco’s regime) ETA killed over 800 people, including more than 300 civilians.
In 2011, ETA renounced its use of arms and in 2017 it formally announced its dissolution. But many people who were convicted for being part of ETA, or for glorifying its activities, remained in prison.
In 2019, Spanish courts paroled 38 former ETA members. Every year, more ETA prisoners are paroled, which has provoked anger from the Association of Victims of Terrorism (AVT), which was founded by the families of those killed by ETA.
The law will go into effect in less than three weeks.
It will allow former ETA prisoners who have already served sentences abroad, for example, in France, to leave prison in Spain earlier.
ETA, or Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (Basque Homeland and Liberty) was a separatist Basque organization founded in 1959, during the height of Francisco Franco’s dictatorship, aiming to establish the Basque region as an independent state from Spain.
It evolved into a violent paramilitary group and was engaged in a bombing campaign, assassinations and kidnappings throughout Spain. Between 1960 and 2003 (almost 30 years after the fall of Franco’s regime) ETA killed over 800 people, including more than 300 civilians.
In 2011, ETA renounced its use of arms and in 2017 it formally announced its dissolution. But many people who were convicted for being part of ETA, or for glorifying its activities, remained in prison.
In 2019, Spanish courts paroled 38 former ETA members. Every year, more ETA prisoners are paroled, which has provoked anger from the Association of Victims of Terrorism (AVT), which was founded by the families of those killed by ETA.
The law will go into effect in less than three weeks.
Source: RTVE, France 24, Reuters
