The former head of ETA 'Kantauri' refuses to testify before the judge of the 'Miguel Ángel Blanco case'

Arizcuren reminds the magistrate that France has not authorized him to be investigated for these events

MADRID, 28 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The former head of the terrorist organization ETA José Javier Arizcuren Ruiz, alias 'Kantauri', has refused this Friday to testify before the judge of the National High Court that is investigating whether the murder of the PP councilor in Ermua Miguel Ángel Blanco was ordered by the leadership of the band.

Legal sources have explained to Europa Press that 'Kantauri' has taken advantage of the principle of specialty in order not to answer the questions, given that France did not hand him over to Spain to be investigated for these events.

The reinforcement magistrate of the Central Court of Instruction Number 6 Joaquín Gadea has reminded 'Kantauri' that he had the possibility of giving a statement as an investigator despite the aforementioned principle, although the former head of the organization has decided not to do so.

It was planned that this summons, which was finally held this Friday, would take place on October 17, but the diligence had to be suspended because none of the prosecutors assigned to the case could attend when both were on sick leave. The new deputy prosecutor of the National High Court Marta Duringz and the prosecutor Pedro Rubira attended the hearing.

'Kantauri', who is serving a sentence in the Pamplona I Penitentiary Center, was handed over by the neighboring country for acts other than the kidnapping and murder of the young politician from Ermua, which forced the National Court to request permission to interrogate him for this issue.

The Paris Court of Appeal rejected last June the European arrest warrant issued on February 4, 2021 by the head of the Court, Manuel García Castellón, considering that it was "empty of content".

García Castellón issued that order as an extension of the one issued in 2016 by the former judge of the National Court Eloy Velasco. He made that decision after 'Kantauri' recalled that France had not handed him over to Spain for this reason during an investigative statement.

The sources consulted by this agency explained that García Castellón agreed to issue another surrender and arrest warrant, which has not yet been resolved.

It was last March when Judge García Castellón agreed to reopen the investigation into the murder of the Popular Party councilor after admitting a complaint filed by the Dignity and Justice Association (DyJ).

In its brief, the association directed its accusation against the leaders of the gang at the time of the events: 'Kantauri'; Ignacio Miguel Gracia Arregui, 'Iñaki de Rentería'; Juan Carlos Iglesias Chouzas, 'Gaddafi'; Asier Oyarzabal, 'Baltza'; Maria Soledad Iparraguirre 'Anboto'; Miguel Gracia Arregui, 'Mikel Antza'; Vicente Goicoechea 'Willy'; Jokin Echevarria and Carlos Ibarguren 'Nerves'.

The judge agreed to call 'Kantauri', 'Anboto', and 'Mikel Antza' as investigated and ex officio appreciated the prescription of the crimes for 'Iñaki de Rentería', a decision that both the Prosecutor's Office and the PP and DyJ have requested reverse. For their part, 'Mikel Antza' and 'Anboto' refused to testify before the magistrate.

It should be remembered that, in the case of Blanco's murder, the First Criminal Section of the National Court already sentenced in 2006 to 50 years in prison the former ETA leader Francisco Javier García Gaztelu, 'Txapote', and his sentimental partner and member of ETA Irantzu Gallastegui Sodupe, 'Amaia', as perpetrators.

In its sentence, the court assured that both "planned and executed the kidnapping and subsequent murder of Miguel Ángel Blanco, following the guidelines of the leadership of the terrorist organization ETA, whose most immediate objectives were the kidnapping of a PP councilor to demand in exchange for their release the approach of the prisoners of the gang to prisons in the Basque Country".