BASQUE PRIME MINISTER TRIAL - CHARGES DROPPED

The Prime Minister of the Basque Autonomous Community, Juan Jose Ibarretxe, stood trial last week, less then two months before the elections to the Basque Parliament take place, accused of holding 'illegal' peace talks with an outlawed Basque political party.

However, the trial was immediately thrown out by the Basque Supreme Court after prosecutors said that there was no evidence of a crime having been committed. Prime Minister Ibarretxe had been accused of meeting with the Batasuna political party in April 2006 and January 2007, by two right wing groups who asked the Supreme Court to begin legal proceedings.

Ibarretxe's meetings with Batasuna, held during and after an ETA cease fire, was an attempt, he claimed, at negotiating a lasting peace. However Batasuna had been declared illegal by the Spanish courts in 2003 as part of their crackdown on Basque left wing nationalist political parties and Ibarretxe consequently later stood accused of negotiating a political deal with persons from a 'criminal' organisation.

The Supreme Court in the Basque Country threw out the case saying that it was "illegitimate" and also that the court could not act on the request of private individuals, which is what had happened in this particular situation. However, Roberto Saiz, an investigating magistrate at the Supreme Court of Justice, rejected this argument, saying that he could order a trial even though prosecutors representingthe state were opposed.

Ibarretxe, who leads the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) in the Basque Parliament and is looking to win a fourth term in office, will now be able to get on with election campaigning. The legal case against Ibarretxe could be seen as a politically motivated step by the right wing to discredit him and his PNV Government, ahead of the elections. The elections in the Basque Autonomous Community will be held on 1st March 2009.

J B Moffatt Director of Information Celtic League 15/01/09