Two Basque prisoners are returned from third to second grade claiming they have not asked for forgiveness
- The Prison Watch Tribunal has decided to abolish the third grade of prisoners Gorka Martínez and Iñaki Bilbao, claiming that they have not asked for forgiveness from the victims. Recently, however, the National Court considered that repentance and the request for forgiveness are not requirements for the acceptance of prison permits.
Bizkaiko kartzela (argazkia: eitb)
On 18 May the Basque Government granted the third grade to the prisoners of ETA Gorka Martínez Ahedo and Iñaki Bilbao Gaubeka. Now, the Judge of Prison Surveillance, José Luis Castro, has accepted the appeal filed by the Prosecutor’s Office of the National Court against this authorization and says that asking for forgiveness from the victims is essential to access the prison benefits. The two prisoners return to second grade.
Castro has recently failed to comply with the criterion of the first criminal section of the National Court, according to which repentance and apology is not a condition for accepting prison permits.