Madrid -
A Spanish court sentenced a former head of armed Basque separatist group ETA to 81 years in jail on Thursday for killing three police officers in 1980 in the Basque Country.
The National Court found Felix Alberto Lopez de la Calle Gauna, known as “Mobutu”, was part of the ETA band that carried out the killing on October 4, 1980.
According to the court, they shot and killed the three police without warning as the officers were preparing security for a cycle race in the Basque town of Salvatierra.
Fingerprints in the getaway car were matched to “Mobutu”. He made no comment during the trial but his lawyer said he was innocent, arguing that he was not at the scene of the crime.
In court, “Mobutu” wore the football shirt of Argentina, which is embroiled in a commercial dispute with Spain after nationalising the YPF arm of oil giant Repsol.
Two other ETA members were convicted in November 2011 for the same shooting: Ignacio Aracama Mendia was jailed for 61 years for taking part and Ismael Arrieta Perez de Mendiola to 30 years for assisting.
“Mobutu” was temporarily released from prison in France, where he is serving 12 years on terrorism-related charges, to face trial in Spain.
ETA is blamed for 829 deaths during a four-decade campaign of shootings and bombings for an independent Basque homeland in northern Spain and southern France.
It is classed as a terrorist group by the European Union and the United States.
Weakened after many arrests of key militants in Spain as well as France, ETA announced in October 2011 that it was giving up its armed struggle and in November said it was prepared to disarm. - Sapa-AFP