Inmate Asier Karrera Arenza returns to Martutene prison following the decision of the Central Prison Surveillance Court of the Spanish National Court to rejoin the second grade. The race was in third grade since October, on the proposal of the Treatment Committee of the Martutene Penitentiary Centre and with the approval of the Department of Justice of the Basque Government. However, the decision taken by the National Court of Spain has promised a regression of grade for the prisoner. Etxerat has announced that Carrera has been in prison for 23 years and will be serving three quarters of the sentence this year.

The race is not the only prisoner who has suffered regression in terms of prison status. In recent times, several Basque political prisoners have returned from the third to the second grade. On January 31 we announced that Vitorian Roberto Lebrero was waiting for the National Audience of Spain, because he could return from the third to the second grade they had recognized in July. A few days earlier the Santurtziarra prisoner Asier Rodríguez was detained, after leaving the street with the third degree assigned. Last year, after being in the same situation, the prisoners Xabier Atrisitain, Mikel San Argimiro, Aitor Esnaola, Joseba Arrangi, Gorka Martinez, Iñaki Bilbao, Jon Crespo and Iñigo Gutierrez were translated into second grade. Unai Fano went through the same situation in 2021.

Resources of the Public Prosecutor's Office, obstacle to the third grade

The list of prisoners who have suffered regression in terms of the degree of imprisonment corresponds to the position adopted by the Prosecutor ' s Office. In February 2022, the prison treatment commissions have presented dozens of appeals since several Basque prisoners began to recognize the third grade, and have managed to prevent prisoners from going to the streets with the only remedy. Until recently, the prisoners who had passed to the third grade could go out into the street, and until the appeal filed by the Prosecutor’s Office was resolved, they did not have to go back to jail. However, a judgment of the Supreme Court changes the procedure: the mere appeal against the third grade will prevent prisoners from staying on the street until the appeal is resolved.

The change in the procedure has been driven by the Prosecutor ' s Office, which has prompted the magistrates to decide whether to wait until the appeals lodged by the prosecutor for the assignment of the third grades are resolved. In this sense, the Prosecutor's Office called the road "battle" on December 12 by La Razón.