Arnaldo Otegi, the leader of banned Basque separatist party Batasuna, has been arrested in northern Spain, charged with glorifying terrorism; he is to serve a 15-month sentence. Batasuna is closely linked with Basque separatists ETA, who ended a 15-month cease-fire on June 6. [The Supreme Court had rejected Otegi's appeal of a conviction and 15-month sentence handed down last year.] [EITB24 [2], June 8]
It emerged on June 8 that Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has held high-level talks with ETA during his premiership. Discussions purportedly broke down, however, in the wake of unacceptable political demands made by ETA; a car bomb at Madrid Airport last December, which killed two people, brought an end to the talks. [BBC [3], June 8]
From Madird11.net Security Briefs [4], June 8
See our last posts on Spain [5] and the Basque struggle [6].
