Trial against Basque left-wing organizations adjourned

international | rights, freedoms and repression | news report

Tuesday November 29, 2005 23:15

by Prisoner Solidarity

Trial against Basque left-wing organizations adjourned after defence lawyers challenged judges

Prisoner Solidarity

The defence lawyers announced Monday they would challenge the judges for acting in a "heavily biased way". The hearing has been adjourned until judges decide whether to allow it to proceed or not.

The hearing in the 18/98 case was adjourned Tuesday morning after the defence lawyers challenged the judges for acting in a "heavily biased way".

The defence lawyer Jone Goirizelaia said the judge acted against his defendant by purposely requesting that a document be read out without any request to do so coming from either side.

The defence lawyers filed in the challenge Tuesday morning and the trial was adjourned until judges decide whether to allow the challenge to proceed or not. If they do, the panel of judges will have to be changed.

The trial is expected to be resumed Tuesday morning.

The trial

Fifty nine people went on trial Monday 21st on charges of directing the logistical side of the armed Basque group ETA's, raising funds, forging passports and helping commandos communicate with one another.

The trial is the largest ever in terms of the number of defendants to go before the National Court, the Spanish tribunal that deals with affairs of state and terrorism cases. The case stems from an eight-year probe by Baltasar Garzon, Spain's leading anti-terror investigator.

The trial, which is to hear testimony from more than 300 people, is being held under tight security at a trade fair pavilion. The normal venue for such proceedings would be the National Court, but it is too small for a trial with so many defendants, lawyers and reporters. The site was used earlier this year for Europe's first major trial of suspected al-Qaida members.

Those on trial include alleged members of Basque youth groups and other organizations and businesses that portrayed themselves as coordinators of pro-independence activities but were banned by Garzon on grounds they were a front for fund-raising and other support for ETA. The trial is to last up to five months.

Source: EiTB24.com