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Spanish Judge to try ETA members for crimes against humanity

Xinhua, October 28, 2015 Adjust font size:

A Spanish judge on Tuesday charged five suspected former leaders of the Basque separatist group ETA with crimes against humanity.

The charges were imposed by Judge Juan Pablo Gonzalez from Spain's National Court on suspected former ETA military leaders, including Garikoitz Aspiazu Rubina, Angel Iriondo Yarza, Aitor Elizaran Aguilar and Mikel Carrera Sarobe, all of whom are currently being held in French jails since their respective arrests between 2008 and 2010.

The judge also charged Jose Antonio Urruticoetxea, who is known as "Josu Ternera," who is currently on the run after escaping in France in 2013.

Josu Ternera, whose son was recently arrested in France, in part of an operation against ETA's political operation, is considered to be the most important ETA leader currently at large.

The charges are for cases of murder or kidnapping which happened after 2004 when the Spanish criminal code changed in order to allow charges of crimes against humanity.

Among the actions under investigation is the attack on a car park at Terminal 4 of Madrid's Barajas Airport on Dec. 30, 2006, which brought a violent end to a ETA ceasefire and claimed the lives of two Ecuadorian men.

The Judge accused the five of having "knowledge of the plan of the crimes that were carried out" during that period.

ETA called a lasting ceasefire in October 2011, during the run in to the 2011 general elections, but apart from one token gesture, has so far failed to hand over any of its weapons.

It's 45 year-struggle for the independence of the Basque Region has so far claimed 829 lives, although a decade of police operations in France and Spain has left its military structure severely weakened. Endit