15/03/2010

Basque Terror Suspect Held In London

A suspected member of the Basque terrorist group Eta - sought under a European Arrest warrant for allegedly taking part in street violence in the Basque region of northern Spain - has been detained in London.

Garikoitz Murua, 29, is accused of a series of petrol bomb attacks between 1999 and 2002.

He is alleged to have taken part in the bombings of the homes of two town councillors, the offices of a daily newspaper and social security department, and a railway station.

He was arrested on behalf of the Spanish authorities in Soho and will appear before Westminster Magistrate's Court today.

Murua had been released on provisional bail in Spain but failed to turn up for his trial in October 2006.

The move comes just days after another Spanish suspect had his extradition upheld by a court in Belfast.

The judge said he placed his trust in the judicial procedures of Spain and has therefore turned down an attempt to stall a pending extradition from NI.

Judge Burgess, sitting in the County Court Division of Belfast, ordered that Jose Ignacio De Juana Chaos be extradited to Spain to face a charge of publicly justifying terrorism.

The court was asked to refuse the request for extradition of Mr De Juana on numerous grounds, mainly that his extradition was issued for the purposes of prosecuting or punishing him on account of his political opinions.

See: Spanish Man Is To Be Extradited

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