Editorial: El Mundo

• The Basque Government is carrying out a 'restorative justice' program that brings together ETA prisoners and certain victims.
• These meetings, supervised by mediators, attempt to justify the release of many convicted ETA members.
• The case of Mikel Garikoitz Aspiazu, Txeroki, is a clear example, where his semi-freedom is defended by the Prosecution due to his 'commitment' to the victims.
• There are doubts about the requirements for ETA prisoners to receive penitentiary benefits, including a lack of cooperation with Justice in clarifying more than 300 crimes.
• These prisoners are also not required to publicly delegitimize terrorism.
• These actions are allowing ETA and parties like Bildu to represent these prisoners as 'political prisoners'.
• The leader of Bildu, Arnaldo Otegi, has allegedly demanded this emptying of prisons in exchange for his support to the Government.
• Victims' associations criticize the way in which the Basque Department of Justice is applying measure 100.2 to many ETA members, which allows their release.

Conclusion: This 'restorative justice' program is seen by many as a political strategy and not a genuine pursuit of justice and social reintegration.

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