Unlike judges in Mexico and Canada who bought Spain's campaign of lies against Basque pro independence activists, a judge in Ireland has exposed Spain's corruption by declaring that Madrid has nothing more than a news paper's opinion to accuse Iñaki de Juana of apology of terrorism.
This article about this Irish judge's defiance against Spain's repressive and violent campaign against the right of the Basque Country to its self determination was published at The International Herald Tribune:
Kudos to judge to Tom Burguess for standing for justice and reason.
This article about this Irish judge's defiance against Spain's repressive and violent campaign against the right of the Basque Country to its self determination was published at The International Herald Tribune:
Basque militant fights extradition to Spain
The Associated Press
Published: December 12, 2008
DUBLIN, Ireland: A Belfast judge reserved judgment Friday in the case of a notorious Basque separatist fighting extradition to Spain — but emphasized that the Spanish authorities' case was weak.
A Spanish judge last month formally asked British authorities to ship Inaki de Juana Chaos back to Madrid to answer questions about a letter in which he allegedly "praises terrorism."
But Tom Burgess, the judge hearing the extradition case at Belfast Crown Court, expressed skepticism about the Spanish case against de Juana Chaos as he heard arguments from both sides' lawyers.
Spain says it wants to question de Juana Chaos about a letter — purportedly a message from himself to supporters of the Basque paramilitary group ETA — calling on them to continue bombing and shooting in hopes of securing an independent homeland in northeast Spain and southwest France.
Burgess heard that the Spanish case was based on a journalist's account of an ETA rally and the letter's contents — and defense claims that the message could be translated into many things besides "praising terrorism."
The judge said a journalist's characterization was not good enough as evidence. He said the message transcript itself needed to be produced and verified as coming from de Juana Chaos.
"I have no idea what this document is," Burgess said, referring to third-hand accounts of the letter's contents. "It seems to be potentially dangerous for this court to start looking at a document for the purpose of whether or not a crime is involved. Is it hearsay, double-hearsay, triple hearsay?"
Burgess adjourned the case without saying when he would give his verdict.
De Juana Chaos denies any connection to the letter. One of his Belfast lawyers, Kevin Winters, said someone else read out a speech at a pro-ETA rally shortly after Spain freed de Juana Chaos from prison in August — but denies that the speech amounted to a letter authored by his client.
De Juana Chaos was convicted in 1987 in a string of ETA bombings and shootings in Madrid that killed 25 police officers, military personnel and civilians. He twice pursued lengthy hunger strikes in prison, and Spanish authorities also convicted him of issuing death threats while behind bars.
Kudos to judge to Tom Burguess for standing for justice and reason.
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