The National Court (AN) sentenced former ETA member Miren Itxaso Zaldúa to 110 years in prison, aka “Sahatsa”for having organized three attacks by the terrorist group within the framework of the activity of the “Basajaun” command: that of the Corte Inglés in Zaragoza in June 2002 and two others against two companies in Navarre.
In a judgment, reported by Europa Press, the criminal chamber acquitted the other accused, also former members of the group. the terrorist Mikel Carrera Sarobe, alias “Ata”, believing that his participation in the events is not proven.
It should be remembered that during the trial held last September, the two accused denied having ordered the execution of these attacks, requesting their acquittal. The prosecution requested, for its part, that they be sentenced to 167 years respectively from prison, considering that it was proven that “Sahatsa” was in charge of command and that “Ata” was his “number two”.
In the judgment, the magistrates of the third section sentenced the accused to 60 years in prison for three offenses of terrorist attacks, 45 years for three other offenses of terrorist injury, 3 years for theft of a motor vehicle and an additional 2 years for falsification of a document. official document, although she was acquitted of the attack against the University of Navarra for which she was also accused.
The account of proven facts explains that in 2002 Zaldúa led the Basajaun command of ETA, whose goal was to obtain the independence of the Basque Country through the use of violence against the Spanish people and property.
‘Sahatsa’ underlined the objectives
“As coordinator and facilitator of said command, Zaldúa organized and directed three terrorist actions, indicating the objectives and providing the means for their achievement, which were carried out by unidentified members of the command,” the magistrates affirm. .
The first of these, they indicate, was the explosion of an artifact in the El Corte Inglés shopping center in Zaragoza around 10:15 p.m. on June 21, 2002, which caused a crater with approximate dimensions of 5×7 meters in diameter very close to the surface. vehicle access ramp.
The explosive device, according to the Court, was equipped with a timed electrical initiation system, consisting of a quantity of explosive between 70 and 80 kilograms which had been placed inside a van by members of the Basajaun commando in accordance with the instructions of ‘Sahatsa’.
As a result of the explosion, the judgment states, three people were injured, while the shopping center and several vehicles suffered damage to varying degrees.
The two other terrorist acts against two Navarrese companies, according to the magistrates, were also committed “in execution of the instructions given by the accused as coordinator of the command”.
A letter from Zaldúa, key to his conviction
The judgment recounts how members of the terrorist group detonated two devices on November 29, 2002 in the premises of the UVESA company, located in the town of Arguedas (Navarra) and in the frozen products factory of the Ultrafrozens entity Virto. in the urban area of the town of Azagra (Navarra), actions which caused extensive material damage.
The Chamber details in its resolution the evidence it evaluated to conclude that Itxaso Zaldúa is responsible for the events due to his “direct, material and voluntary” participation, including the statements of the accused, members of the police and custody. Civil reports, expert reports and documentary evidence.
Regarding the latter, the magistrates particularly highlight the documents seized on the occasion of the arrest of the former member of ETA Ibon Fernández Iradi, “Susper”, and of the leaders of the terrorist group Juan Antonio Olarra Guridi and Ainhoa Múgica Goñi. .
In this regard, the Chamber underlines the importance, to support the conviction, of various documents issued by France, within the framework of an agreement signed with Spain, in order to investigate the actions attributed to ETA, in particular the “letter BS” attributed to the accused and who declares his participation in the events.
