Justice France authorizes Spain to try ETA member Arzalluz Goñi for the murder of López de Lacalle

The French justice has decided this Wednesday to extend the extradition to Spain of ETA member Asier Arzalluz Goñi to be tried for the murder of EL MUNDO columnist José Luis López de Lacalle in Andoain in May 2000

Justice France authorizes Spain to try ETA member Arzalluz Goñi for the murder of López de Lacalle

The French justice has decided this Wednesday to extend the extradition to Spain of ETA member Asier Arzalluz Goñi to be tried for the murder of EL MUNDO columnist José Luis López de Lacalle in Andoain in May 2000.

The ETA member is already in jail and is serving a sentence in Spain for other crimes, but the surrender is extended to try him for this other one. To date, for the murder of López de Lacalle, José Ignacio Guridi Lasa, as the material author of the crime, and Francisco Javier García Gaztelu, alias 'Txapote', as the one who organized the murder, had been convicted.

The judge of the National Court María Tardón expanded the accusation in January 2022 to Arzalluz Goñi and also to Aitor Aguirrebarrena, who were part of the Totto command, author of the murder of the journalist, so that they can be prosecuted. The penalty for Arzalluz ranges from 20 to 30 years.

In addition, the French Justice has decided today to hand over to Spain the ETA member Mikel Carrera Sarobe, alias Ata, imprisoned in France, where he was arrested. A deferred surrender has been authorized, when he completes his sentence in France, where he has two life sentences. Spain could ask for a temporary transfer so that he can be judged.

Ata, who was arrested in Bayonne in 2010, is being tried for an attack against the University of Navarra in 2002, another with a car bomb at El Corte Inglés in Zaragoza, the same year, and for the murder of the civil guard Juan Carlos Beiro, in Navarre. Also for the murder of the former president of the PP in Aragon Manuel Giménez Abad, in 2001.

The Court of Appeal had to decide on the delivery to Spain of ETA member Garikoitz Aspiazu Rubina, alias Txeroki, for five Euro-orders issued by the National Court. Justice has decided to postpone the decision to June 14.

The former head of the ETA military apparatus, who was arrested in France in 2008, has been serving a sentence since then in the French prison of Lannemezan, in the southwest of the country. This ends in 2032.

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