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Spanish judiciary lowers sentences handed to Basque separatists
May 27, 2009, 11:17 GMT
Madrid - An association representing Spanish victims of terrorism Wednesday criticized the country's Supreme Court for drastically reducing prison sentences which had been handed to Basque separatists close to the militant separatist group ETA.
The Supreme Court acquitted nine of the 47 people who had been sentenced in 2007, and lowered the sentences of most of the others by about a third. It justified its decision mainly with technical judicial reasons.
The detainees had links with media, organizations or companies related to ETA. They had been sentenced to up to 12 years in prison in a 'mega-trial' targeting the entourage of ETA.
The court cancelled a ban on the newspaper Egin, arguing that prosecutors had not formally requested it. The ban lifting will, however, have no practical effect as the publishers will remain in prison.
The Association of Victims of Terrorism (AVT) described the court decision as a 'scandal' for the victims of ETA, which has killed more than 820 people over four decades.
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