'Txeroki's' Defiant Smirk: Ex-ETA Leader Enjoys Unprecedented Privileges at Martutene Prison Amidst Public Outcry

Spain - Ekhbary News Agency

'Txeroki's' Defiant Smirk: Ex-ETA Leader Enjoys Unprecedented Privileges at Martutene Prison Amidst Public Outcry

In a scene emblematic of defiance and perceived impunity, Garikoitz Azpiazu, infamously known as 'Txeroki' and the former military chief of the now-defunct ETA terrorist organization, continues to benefit from an extraordinary degree of freedom while ostensibly serving a sentence at Martutene prison in the Basque Country. An in-depth investigation by Ekhbary News Agency uncovers alarming details about how this historic penitentiary has seemingly transformed into a sanctuary for former ETA leaders, where they enjoy quasi-liberty facilitated by controversial political agreements between the EH Bildu party and the Spanish government, igniting profound anger among terrorism victims and dismay among prison staff.

For several weeks, Txeroki's daily departure from Martutene prison has become a regular spectacle. Azpiazu, who once commanded the last active members of the terrorist group, is frequently observed by photographers and journalists stationed outside the prison, often displaying a defiant smirk and even sticking out his tongue. Each day, he is picked up in a rented car by Gorka García Sertutxa, the current spokesperson for Etxerat – an organization advocating for the release of ETA prisoners – who himself was previously convicted for an assassination attempt on King Juan Carlos I. This arrangement, which the car rental company claims it would never have approved had it known the driver's identity, underscores the extensive network of support and logistical facilitation afforded to former ETA leaders.

Sources within the prison system confirm that 'Txeroki' does not even adhere to the basic formality of sleeping in his designated cell as a second-degree inmate. Instead, he has been inexplicably transferred to the 'Open Section,' an area typically reserved for third-degree prisoners. This irregular privilege, which bypasses established regulations, has caused considerable astonishment and resentment among the prison staff. One exasperated worker commented, «He goes out to the street daily, but when he comes in, he doesn't even go to his cell; it's as if he's no longer in prison but has one and a half feet out the door.»

Martutene prison, a 19th-century facility with structural issues and foundations in a flood-prone area, has remarkably become a strategic hub for ETA members to expedite their release processes. In 2019, only four ETA members were serving sentences there. However, since the transfer of prison competencies to the Basque government in 2021 by Pedro Sánchez's administration – a move widely seen as an effort to satisfy EH Bildu's demands, particularly those of Arnaldo Otegi – Martutene has seen a significant influx of ETA inmates. Many, like Txeroki, now benefit from the semi-freedom afforded by Article 100.2 of the penitentiary regulations, which allows for skipping standard progression rules, as well as third-degree statuses with electronic monitoring bracelets, effectively enabling them to avoid regular incarceration.

Prison officials assert that these privileges are far from coincidental. Nearly 80% of ETA prisoners at Martutene are now reportedly in semi-freedom, securing remunerated employment through the Basque Reinsertion Agency, Aukerak, which collaborates with Basque companies. This agency has, in turn, opened prison doors wide to Espetxe Sarea Euskadi Nafarroa (ESEN), an association that ostensibly justifies social services to facilitate ETA members' release. Critics argue that this systematic approach constitutes a thinly veiled amnesty, orchestrated with the explicit backing of the Basque government.

Fear of reprisals permeates the prison staff, yet some dare to speak of unregistered visits by Arnaldo Otegi to one of the six female inmates and the unauthorized use of mobile phones by ETA prisoners under the guise of online training courses. There is little doubt among observers that Txeroki himself organizes his outings via mobile phone, a practice expected to continue as long as he enjoys the Basque government's support in accelerating his supposed 'resocialization' process. A former Martutene official, with a long career in the prison system, vehemently denounced the situation as «a third degree disguised as a huge castle.»

Amidst this escalating controversy, the Basque Minister of Justice, María Jesús San José, steadfastly refuses to provide explanations. During a press conference held just 100 meters from the prison to announce its closure and conversion into a housing development, she stated unequivocally, «I do not speak about prisoners, not even about Txeroki.» This silence only intensifies the indignation of terrorism victims, who perceive these privileges as a profound insult to the memory and sacrifices of their loved ones. This anger is poised to multiply exponentially in the coming months as more former ETA leaders walk through Martutene's main gates, benefiting from a system that critics argue blatantly disregards justice and equality before the law.

Ekhbary News Agency