National
Basque Mayor ordered to remove long-standing monument to ETA terrorist
By h.b.
Jun 2, 2008 - 6:13 PM

Spain’s National Court has ordered, for the first time, that a monument to an ETA terrorist be removed.
The ETA terrorist, José Manuel Aristimuño, known as ‘Pana’, died in March 1981 in a fight with police, and his name had been honoured to name a local park in the town of Hernani.

Now National Court judge, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, has ordered the Mayor of the town, Marian Beitalarrangoitia from the ANV party, alleged to have links to ETA, to remove the reference which is also shown on a stone and plaque.

For her part the Mayor refused to declare before the judge who acted after a compliant was placed by the Dignity and Justice Association and the Foro de Hermua groups. She refused to address the court after saying that when the park was named, in 1982, she was a mere 14 years old.

She faces charges of exhorting terrorism and humiliating terrorist victims.

The magistrate also issued an order to the Basque regional police, La Ertzaintza, ordering them to remove ‘all public signs’ referring to the terrorist.