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Basque separatists accused of resurrecting banned political party

Oct 14, 2009, 9:38 GMT

Madrid - Basque separatist leaders suspected of resurrecting the banned political party Batasuna were Wednesday taken to Madrid following their arrest the day before, Spanish police sources said. Batasuna was outlawed in 2003 as the political wing of the militant Basque separatist group ETA, which is blamed for more than 820 deaths since 1968. Eight of the 10 detainees were brought to Madrid, where National Court judge Baltasar Garzon had issued the order for their arrest. Police on Tuesday held 10 separatists, including Batasuna chief Arnaldo Otegi and Rafa Diez Usabiaga, a former leader of the Basque trade union LAB. The detainees were believed to have held secret meetings in an attempt to revive Batasuna. Otegi was also suspected of repeatedly travelling to France for meetings with ETA. Several moderate Basque nationalist parties attributed the arrests to political motives. Radical separatists are seeking to resume a visible political role after judicial bans barred Batasuna and its successors from having representatives in the Basque regional parliament. They have, however, refused to condemn the violence of ETA, which the Spanish government has set as a condition for them to exercise political activities.

Europe News

Basque separatists accused of resurrecting banned political party

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