Exchange of criminal records and review of European Union judicial decisions which, translated, are the standard that benefits almost fifty ETA prisoners, who will see their sentences reduced taking into account the years served abroad.
The BOE published the law, which transposes a European directive, on October 19 after a major political and institutional battle and, as expected, it comes into force today after having passed the 20-day deadline.
According to the Sare detainee support network, there are currently 140 ETA detainees in Basque and Navarrese prisons – under different regimes – and 4 others in France. This network estimates that 52 members of ETA could benefit from judicial reform and that seven of them could be released from prison before the end of the year, including two for blood crimes: Juan Ramón Casatorre, alias shoeassassin of the former Basque regional deputy, leader of the PP of Gipuzkoa and deputy mayor of San Sebastián Gregorio Ordóñez, the soldier Mariano de Juan and the main inspector of the National Police Enrique Viyella; and Félix Alberto López de Lacalle, said Mobutuwho killed civil guards Avelino Palma, Ángel Prado and José Luis Vázquez.
The rest which could come out before the end of the year, if the estimates of the AVT, which sounded the alarm on the amendment that the government introduced through the back door, are respected, is Jon Mirena San Pedrosentenced to fifty years in prison for the attempted attack on a police officer in Baracaldo (Vizcaya); Balbino Sáezsentenced to 108 years in prison for the attempted assassination of former PSOE ministers José Barrionuevo and Matilde Fernández, and for the failed attack on two police vans; Ismaël Berasateguiwho prepared car bombs in the Behorburu commando; Luis Enrique Garatesentenced to 54 years in prison for participation in the kidnapping of Alava industrialist Lucio Aguinagalde – during which police officer Genaro García de Andonain died -; And Gregorio Vicariosentenced to eighteen years in prison for attempted car bombing against a police patrol in Barcelona, for the kidnapping of businessman Cosme Delclaux and industrialist José María Aldaya, and to 154 additional years for attack against the military government of Barcelona.
To benefit from the law, each prisoner will have to request before the sentencing chamber – the National Court in Spain -, through their lawyer, that the law be applied to them in order to be able to leave prison early.
This will not be the case, for example, of Txapote, one of the most bloodthirsty members of the gang and the assassin of Miguel Ángel Blanco. Already in 2014, the National Court had recast his sentences at his request, after having served part of them in France, he will therefore only leave prison, in principle, in 2031.
