[JURIST] A UK judge ruled Tuesday that a convicted member of the Basque separatist group Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA) [JURIST news archive] can be extradited to Spain. In his ruling, Judge Howard Riddle said there had been no abuse of process in Antoio Troitino’s case, and he could receive a fair trial in Spain [AP report]. Troitino served 24 years in a Spanish prison for his role in more than 20 killings. He was released in 2011. However, Spanish authorities said he had been released too soon. Troitino was arrested in the UK in 2012 on a Spanish warrant, and he has been fighting extradition ever since. Riddle said Troitino could be extradited on terrorism charges, and gave Troitino seven days to appeal.

Earlier this month, the Spanish government requested [JURIST report] that the US use diplomatic discussions with Cuba regarding the country’s removal from the State Sponsors of Terrorism blacklist to seek the extradition of two ETA members residing in Cuba. In January Spain’s Interior Ministry announced [JURIST report] the arrest of 16 individuals for alleged connections with ETA. Twelve of the individuals arrested were lawyers, while the other four were treasurers for a group that represents ETA prisoners. In November 2013 the Spanish National Court ordered the release of 13 members of ETA in compliance with a European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruling [judgment] made the month before. The ECHR decision overturned the “Parot Doctrine” [LOC backgrounder] which had effectively allowed for life imprisonment despite the thirty-year prison limit set by Spain’s 1973 Penal Code.