The European Court of Human Rights confirmed a Spanish court ruling that outlaws the Basque left-wing political party Batasuna, Spanish officials confirmed on Tuesday.

The Strasbourg-based court ruled against an appeal made by the Basque nationalist party Batasuna, which was declared illegal by the Supreme Court in 2003 for its ties with the armed Basque group ETA. Batasuna had its offices closed down and was barred from engaging in political activity.

Spain''s Constitutional Court confirmed the ruling. Spanish PM Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero expressed satisfaction at the court''s decision.

Prior to being illegalised, Batasuna garnered some 12 percent of the vote in Basque elections.

Batasuna was founded in the late 1970s, although it has undergone several name changes since then. It denies being part of ETA, which is blamed for more than 800 deaths since the late 1960s, although it also refuses to condemn attacks carried out by the armed group.