AP Photo/Paul White
Like all Spanish murderers found guilty at trial, Ms Del Río was sent to jail. There is no life term or death sentence in
That is not the end of the matter. Fifty-three other ETA members, responsible for dozens of killings, must be released too. So must other terrorists, including one from a state-backed dirty-war group that attacked ETA targets in the 1980s. A dozen rapists and murderers will also go free. In all, more than 70 of Spain's most violent prisoners should be released as the country's
Mariano Rajoy's conservative Popular Party (PP) government has fought the ECHR all the way. It takes an unbendingly tough line on ETA, and has accused previous left-leaning governments of being soft on
Mr Rajoy has remained silent, leaving ministers to explain that there is little choice but to allow courts to release the prisoners. But on October 23rd he met victims' groups, who are planning a protest, to reassure them that there would be no sudden mass release.
In fact ETA's ageing prisoners are less of a danger than the rapists and murderers who will also go free. A weakened ETA declared a unilateral and permanent ceasefire in October 2011. As was not the case with previous ceasefires, it has stuck to this one. The group has yet to hand over its arms. The release of prisoners should smooth the path towards such an event.
Many in the Basque area, including the regional government of the moderate Basque National Party leader, Iñigo Urkullu, believe it is time to finish the peace process. "The government has a chance to do what it has failed to do in two years--become an active agent for peace," says Fernando Barrena of Sortu, an increasingly powerful separatist movement. They would like to see a softer approach to ETA's 600 remaining prisoners, many of whom are kept in prisons hundreds of miles from their families.
But Mr Rajoy has done nothing beyond promising that the security forces' full might will fall on ETA if it returns to arms. ETA negotiators were ejected from Norway when disarmament failed to happen earlier this year. With victims' groups now stirring, Mr Rajoy is unlikely to budge soon. ETA, once more, must act alone.
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