Ibon Fernández Iradi 'Susper', sentenced to 30 years in prison

Former head of ETA Juan Ibon Fernandez Iradi, Susper, was sentenced to an imprisonment of 30 years by the Paris Court of Assizes, while other six members of the band were charged with sentences ranging from 5 years to 18.

Susper's 30-year-sentence will be added to another one of 30 years already issued last year, after Fernandez Iradi seriously injured a policeman in November 2002. The overall verdict was harder than the prosecution's request.

Sentences

Gorka Palacios Alday (35 years), who was sentenced to 18 years in prison, was head of ETA when two police operations took place in 2003 in Mont de Marsan and the outskirts of Pau, where the seven members of the band who were judged in Paris were arrested.

The court ordered a sentence of 15 years for Juan Luis Rubenach Roiz (46 years) as responsible for the logistics of the military apparatus of ETA.

Jose Miguel Almandoz Erviti (37) and Iñigo Vallejo Franco (33), accused of training new activists, will have to serve 12 years of imprisonment each.

Patxi Abad Urkixo (34), who shared a house with Susper in Mont de Marsan, is to spend 10 years in prison and, as in the case of the previous five arrested, he must effectively serve two thirds of the sentence.

Furthermore, they will have to face up to the final expulsion of France once they finish their sentence.

Concerning Garazi Aldana (27), who was the only woman arrested and appeared before the court as free under judicial supervision, she is facing to 5 years of imprisonment.