Altsasu youth sentenced to a total of 79 years in prison for clashes with two civil guards
- The eight young people have been charged by the Spanish National Court with the crimes of “damage, public disorder and threats” and “abuse of authority”.
The accusation of "terrorist crime" has been rejected by the jury because the "terrorist purpose" of the action and the link of those who participated in it with "terrorist organizations" has not been clear. On the other hand, they have been subjected to aggravating "abuses of superiority and hatred", arguing that the facts were given "for ideological reasons and hatred of the Civil Guard".
The jury has imposed the highest possible penalties for “damages, public disorder and threats”. He sentenced Iñaki Abad and Iñaki Arnanz to 13 years in prison and Jokin Unamuno to 12 years in prison. Jon Ander Cob, Julen Goikoetxea and Aratz Urrizola were sentenced to 9 years, and Ainara Urkijo was sentenced to 2 years.
The ruling says that “incitement actions” were initiated by Unamuno, alleging that Basoan Arnanz and Jon Ander Cobe followed this. With the exception of Ainara Urkijo, the other defendants are accused of attacking the authority and causing injuries. Abad and Arnanz, on the other hand, are also accused of causing “public disorder.”
Prison sentences aside, for injuries you will have to pay the lieutenant 9,200 euros. Instead, the sergeant will have to pay 3,700 euros and the couples of these two will have to pay 6,100 euros per head. Moreover, the lieutenant and the Sanjente’s partners, respectively, will have to pay up to 45,000 and 25,000 euros for “moral consequences and damages”.
There shall be a period of 10 days within which appeals may be lodged.
The case that provoked anger
On October 15, 2016, at 5:00 a.m. in the morning of the local fair, as a result of a clash between two civil guards dressed in streets in a local bar, their partners and a group of Altsasuans, one of the agents ended up with a wounded faucet on one side and seven young people imprisoned on the other side. Each was sentenced to 10 to 15 years in prison.
The case caused great outrage and, moved by the relatives and friends of the detainees, they have carried out a constant campaign to demand justice. 20,000 people were recruited shortly after the arrests. After a year and a half, on April 14, more than 50,000 people collapsed in central Pamplona under the slogan “it is not terrorism, justice”.
The case has garnered a lot of media coverage, and among others the Guardian, Al Jazeera and the New York Times have written about it.
Giza Eskubideen Europako Auzitegiak ez du aintzat hartu Altsasuko gazteek epaiketa bidezkoa izan zuten aztertzeko eskakizuna. Auzipetutako gazteetako batek, Iñaki Abadek, eman du jakitera berria.
