Interior accelerates the pace of the approaches of ETA inmates

The Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, in the presentation this month of the book tribute to journalist José María Calleja.Óscar J.Barroso / Europa Press

The General Secretariat of Penitentiary Institutions, dependent on the Ministry of the Interior, announced this Tuesday the next transfer to prisons near the Basque Country of eight ETA inmates.

This is the most numerous approach since, in the summer of 2018, the Government of Pedro Sánchez announced the change in prison policy with the inmates of the armed gang.

In just over two years, there are already 84 inmates of the terrorist organization who have benefited from this measure.

Of them, 25 so far in October, in a clear acceleration in the pace of approaches.

In addition, 12 other ETA members have entered the third degree or semi-release.

Currently, 197 inmates of the terrorist organization are being held in Spanish prisons, the lowest figure in 41 years, according to prison sources and the anti-terrorist fight confirmed to EL PAÍS.

They are joined by another 33 inmates in French prisons, most of them in the two penitentiaries closest to the border with Spain.

Etxerat, the association of relatives of ETA prisoners, reduces this figure to 189 (and another 32 in French prisons) by excluding those inmates who have distanced themselves from the collective that groups ETA prisoners (EPPK in its Basque acronym) after to repent or for showing supporters of continuing with the attacks.

Among the eight ETA members whose transfer has now been announced, is the couple formed by Itziar Alberdi Uranga and Juan Jesús Narváez Goñi, until now held in the Estremera prison (Madrid) and who will occupy cells in the Logroño Penitentiary Center .

Alberdi and Narváez were arrested in Puerto Vallarta (Mexico) in February 2014 after 22 years of flight and extradited to Spain.

In December 2015, they were sentenced to 296 years in prison for killing, in 1991, two Tedax (explosives disposal technicians) of the Police with a package bomb.

In the case of Narváez, Prisons also progresses him to second degree penitentiary or ordinary regime, which will allow him to request exit permits when he has completed a quarter of the sentence.

He does so after sending ETA a letter in which he rejects the use of violence and acknowledges the pain caused, according to Interior.

His partner, however, is kept in first degree or closed regime, the hardest, although article 100.2 of the Penitentiary Regulations will apply, which will allow him to access some benefits of the second degree.

The other five ETA members are Aitor Esnaola, José Antonio Borde, Karmelo Lauzirika, José Juan García and the brothers Mikel and Ibai Ayensa.

These last two, until now in the Monterroso prison (Lugo), will be transferred to the Logroño prison, like Narváez and Alberdi, which will make this prison, when these transfers materialize, the one that more ETA prisoners shelter, together to that of Puerto III (Cádiz), with 11 inmates of the terrorist organization.

According to Interior, the Ayensa brothers have also accepted prison legality "and have sent a letter in which they reject the use of violence and acknowledge the pain caused."

So has Aitor Esnaola - to whom Interior will transfer from the Ocaña I prison (Toledo) to Soria - and José Antonio Borde - who will go from the Teixeiro prison (A Coruña) to the Cantabrian prison of El Dueso.

The latter, in addition, will be progressed to the second degree, which will allow him to apply for permits, since he fulfilled the requirement of having completed a quarter of the sentence years ago.

Finally, Karmelo Lauzirika and José Juan García will be transferred to the Zaballa Penitentiary Center (Álava).

The first, from the Castellón I prison. The second, from the Valladolid.

According to Penitentiary Institutions, both "have apologized to the victims, have assumed their responsibility and have expressed their rejection of violence."

García has been in prison since June 2018, already with Fernando Grande-Marlaska as Minister of the Interior, and is serving a 16-year sentence for the crime of terrorist organization.