The session of the Basque Parliament this Friday has been tense between the president of the Popular Party of the region, Javier de Andrés, and the lehendakari, Imano Pradales. The reason: Juan Narvaez Goñi, an ETA prisoner who accumulates several sentences exceeding 300 years in prison for his participation in various attacks, murders, and terrorism offenses during the 90s, who will be granted third grade. Third grade is the most advanced phase of classification in the Spanish prison system, focused on the inmate's reintegration into society.
This has caused unease in the Basque opposition, which has declared that "there are still hundreds of Basque prisoners outside of Euskadi, but there are no longer pronouncements in this parliament because they are not members of ETA" and has posed a question to Pradales: "Do you believe this is the fair way to manage prisons?". The lehendakari, for the PNV, has been very concise in his response: "The prisoners of the terrorist group ETA have the same rights and obligations as the rest of the prisoners. There is no privilege, only the application of the law".
A response that has not satisfied the popular bench. De Andrés has declared that "society owes them nothing", but "you have a political deal with them and with their coalition partners from the Socialist Party" and has accused the Basque government of corrupting the justice system with privileged treatment for ETA members. In response to this, Pradales has asked for respect for the government and the victims of terrorism.
The lehendakari has stated that these decisions are made by judges who "just like you or militants of the Socialist Party suffered coercion, threats, or attacks in the first person". Pradales explained that the procedure begins with prison technicians, who prepare a personalized report. "It is submitted to the treatment board composed of officials from the prison system. It is subjected to legality control through the Public Prosecutor's Office or the Prison Surveillance Court. And in any case, it is a judge who has the final say. They make the decision strictly complying with the current law. Applying a regulation in this case," Pradales sentenced.
