Most notorious ETA terrorist denies prison threats

27 October 2006

MADRID — Spain’s most notorious ETA terrorist went on trial accused of making threats from behind bars.

José Ignacio de Juana Chaos is accused of being a member of the armed organisation ETA and making terrorist threats in letters printed in the newspaper Gara.

De Juana, who has served 18 years in jail for killing 25 people in 11 terrorist attacks, denied the letters contained threats.

He also said he had never committed an activity associated with terrorism while in prison.

De Juana said the letters to the newspaper had been “tough” but said he was simply trying to “contextualise” the situation in the Basque Country. 

He is accused of six charges of making terrorist threats and belonging to a terrorist group relating to an article published in 2004.

De Juana said he had simply been exercising his right to expression when he wrote the pieces.

He denied he had been trying to encourage others to join ETA.

But three prison directors appeared in court to say they had felt threatened by the articles.

De Juana staged a hunger strike for 63 days starting in August against his imprisonment after he had completed his 30 year jail term. He had served 18, but received a reduction of 12 years from the full sentence.

He was kept in jail while the current case came to trial.

He gave up the hunger strike earlier this month.

The case continues.

[Copyright EFE with Expatica]

Subject: Spanish news