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 News Around the Republic of Mexico | April 2006 
Mexican High Court Begins Discussing Extradition of Six ETA Suspects to Spain
 E. Eduardo Castillo - Associated Press
| | Barbara Zamora, the lawyer representing the six Basques facing extradition, speaks to reporters in Mexico City, Mexico, Tuesday, April 4, 2006. The Mexican Supreme Court court began to discuss the issue of extraditing the five men and one woman wanted in Spain who were arrested in 2003 Tuesday, though it has yet to rule on an injunction presented by the defendants' attorney blocking the group's extradition to Spain. They are charged in Spain with belonging to ETA, as well as with laundering money and receiving illicit proceeds from terrorist activities. (AP/Gregory Bull) |
Mexico City – Mexico's Supreme Court on Tuesday began weighing an injunction filed by six Basque citizens arrested in this country who are attempting to block their extradition to Spain, where they face terrorism charges.
The Spanish government accuses the five men and one women detained in July 2003 of being members of the terrorist group ETA – charges the group has repeatedly denied. The injunction is thought to be the last legal recourse to block the group's extradition to their homeland.
During three hours of debate, justice Genaro Gongora supported one of the elements listed in the injunction, that the 3-year-old arrest warrant Mexican authorities used to detain the group was invalid because authorities in Spain failed to provide evidence that the accused were involved in terrorist activities.
Gongora rejected arguments that an extradition treaty signed by Mexico and Spain forgoes the need to provide evidence when requesting arrest warrants between the two countries.
“Presenting an arrest warrant obligates our authorities to meet it while also meeting guarantees of liberty and judicial security,” Gongora said. “It's very difficult for me to understand why those guarantees were not met in this case.”
Barbara Zamora, an attorney for the five Basque citizens, applauded Gongora's argument.
“Justice Gongora is expressing, in an impeccable manner, one of our arguments, which is that there is no proof,” she said by telephone.
The Supreme Court is scheduled to discuss the matter again Thursday.
Mexican Foreign Secretary Luis Ernesto Derbez has said Mexico is committed to extraditing the six Basques, despite their court appeals.
Those being held in Mexico City are Asier Arronategui, Ernesto Alberdi, Felix Salustiano Garcia, Juan Carlos Artola, Jose Maria Urquijo and Maria Asuncion Gorrochategui.
Most had been living for years in Mexico and at least one had been naturalized a Mexican citizen. They say that a return to Spain means they could be tortured and imprisoned without a fair trial.
ETA began an armed struggle for an independent Basque homeland three decades ago, and has been blamed for more than 800 deaths. The group announced a truce on March 22.
In addition to their suspected membership in ETA, Spain has charged the suspects with laundering money and receiving illicit proceeds from terrorist activities. |
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