Four Spanish police jailed for torturing ETA terrorists

Dec 30, 2010, 13:54 GMT

San Sebastian, Spain - Four Spanish police officers were sentenced to up to four and one-half years in prison Thursday after being found guilty of torturing a pair of terrorist suspects belonging to the Basque separatist group ETA.

A further 11 officers were acquitted at the trial in the northern Spanish city of San Sebastian.

The two ETA members were arrested in January 2008, on suspicion of being involved in the December 2006 bombing of Madrid airport.

The men, Igor Portu and Mattin Sarasola, told the court that after their arrrest they were beaten, kicked, and threatened with death.

Portu was so badly injured he was taken to hospital with a broken rib and extensive bruising.

Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba had said that the injuries could be attributed to the pair resisting arrest.

Portu and Sarasola were this year sentenced to 1,040 years each for the car bomb attack on the airport, which killed two people and the collapse of a parking garage.

That attack was the end of a previous truce called by the armed separatist group.

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