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France police arrest alleged Basque separatist leader

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

[JURIST] French police arrested Jurdan Martitegi Lizaso, the alleged leader of Spain's Basque separatist group ETA, and two others during Saturday raids in which Spanish police also arrested six other suspected members of the group. Officials alleged that the group was planning a terrorist attack in Spain, as part of their efforts for Basque independence, and that guns and bomb-making materials were also found during the raids. Spanish Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero applauded the capture of the men, thanking French authorities for their cooperation and warning that the country would continue aggressively to seek the capture of ETA members. 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. In January, a Spanish court dismissed the case against Basque Regional Prime Minister Juan José Ibarretxe. He and the two leaders of the Basque socialist party were charged with illegally communicating with the banned Batasuna party, the political wing of the ETA. In November, French authorities arrested alleged former ETA leader Mikel Garikoitz Aspiazu Rubina near the country's border with Spain. In September, the court banned the Basque Nationalist Action Party (ANV) from taking part in political activities because of its alleged ties to Batasuna.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on April 19, 2009 (boomark / email).