Spain Spain's Supreme Court yesterday sentenced the 23 leaders of the Basque separatist party, Herri Batasuna, to seven years in jail after convicting them of aiding an armed group. Each defendant was also fined a half-million pesetas (£2,200). The defendants had warned that if they were convicted, it would be a major obstacle in the search for an end to violence in Spain's northern Basque country.
Herri Batasuna, considered the political wing of the armed separatist group ETA, on Sunday called for a general strike to be staged on December 15th in Spain's Basque region in the event of a guilty verdict.
"It is an outrage, an attack on freedom of expression," one of the defence lawyers, Mr Patxi Zabaleta, said of the verdict.
A spokesman for the moderate Basque party, Eusko Alkartasuna (EA) also denounced the verdict. "In judicial terms, we consider it an outrage, and politically, it will have a very negative impact on the much-needed climate of normalisation," Mr Rafael Larreina said.
Defence lawyers had said they would appeal to the constitutional court in the case of a conviction. However, their clients would not be freed pending the appeal hearing.
The ruling Conservative Popular Party welcomed the verdict.
"All Spaniards are equal before the law. The weight of the law is inexorable and the same for everyone," party spokesman Mrs Luis de Grandes said, adding that its equality extended to those "who say they don't want to be Spaniards".
The Association for Victims of Terrorism also said the ruling was "absolutely positive". "The links between HB and ETA are now absolutely clear," an association spokesman said.
In the unprecedented trial of the entire leadership of a political party, the 23 political leaders were tried in connection with an ETA video cassette broadcast at Herri Batasuna rallies during the campaign leading up to general elections in March of last year. In the video, three hooded, armed militants outlined ETA's demands for an independent homeland in the north of Spain.
The trial opened on October 13th, a few hours after ETA killed a police officer in front of the Guggenheim museum of modern art outside the Basque city of Bilbao. Judges retired to consider their verdict on November 5th.
Prosecutors had requested eight years for each defendant, while civilian plaintiffs in the case called for 22-year sentences, arguing that the defendants were also guilty of belonging to an armed group.
Judicial sources said the defendants would serve a minimum of four years in jail before being eligible for parole.
Defence laywers argued that the party was simply publicising a peace proposal from ETA and were not guilty of collaboration.
Herri Batasuna is the third largest party in the autonomous Basque region with 12 per cent of the vote.
According to the Interior Minister, Mr Jaime Mayor Oreja, ETA is "a terrorist and mafia group" whose aims have become largely irrelevant now that the Basque Country has been granted a large degree of autonomy.
The first attack blamed on ETA dates back to 1968. Since them, the organisation has assassinated some 761 people, mostly soldiers and police officers, according to interior ministry figures.
One of the most recent high-profile killings was the murder of the municipal councillor, Miguel Angel Blanco, who was kidnapped and then executed in July, provoking massive public outrage against the Basque separatists.
On November 20th, ETA announced a partial ceasefire, saying it would halt attacks designed to exert pressure on the government provided it grouped together ETA prisoners in jails in the Basque region.