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Spain judge finds ETA attempted to kill former prime minister

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] Spanish Judge Fernando Grande-Marlaska ruled on Tuesday that Basque separatist group ETA had tried three times to assassinate former Spanish prime minister Jose Maria Aznar in 2001 but had failed. Grande-Marlaska detailed the three assassination attempts as part of a description of the alleged crimes of ETA leader Pedro Maria Olano Zabala, who was arrested in the Basque region last Thursday. The group had allegedly tried three times to use a rocket launcher to fire a missile at Aznar's plane in retribution for Aznar's refusal to accept a compromise with the group, but the launcher failed three times and was finally sent to ETA operatives in France for repair. Rocket launchers belonging to ETA have been seized in France. In September, accused ETA leader Mikel Garikoitz Aspiazu Rubina refused to make any statement during hearings before the Spanish National Court. In June, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) upheld Spain's ban of Basque political groups Batasuna and Herri Batasuna for their alleged ties to ETA. In April, alleged ETA leader Jurdan Martitegi Lizaso was arrested in France, and a Spanish judge charged him with murder for a May 2008 car bombing that killed a Spanish policeman. In February, Spain's Supreme Court unanimously banned the Basque separatist political groups Democracy 3 Million (D3M) and Askatasuna from participation in the coming March elections.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on January 13, 2010 (boomark / email).