AXJ - SPAIN - ETA - TERRORISM CONTINUES

Spanish High Court rules seizure of "herrikos" inadmissible
12/12/2007

A Spanish court that outlawed the Basque left-wing party Batasuna in 2003 and is enforcing the sentence said on Wednesday the seizure of Batasuna's bars is inadmissible "at this moment."

Spanish Supreme Court. Photo: EFE

Spain's Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday not to order the seizure of the bars belonging to the outlawed party Batasuna, a court statement said.

According to the statement, the ruling was supported by all the judges in the panel. The ruling said the seizure of Batasuna's bars is inadmissible "at this moment" but did not say whether in the near future it could be admissible.

Spain's Supreme Court outlawed Batasuna in 2003 on the grounds that it was part of the armed Basque group ETA, closing down its offices and bars and barring it from engaging in political activity.

Wednesday's ruling puts and end to the process that started last October 23, 2006 to probe into the links between Batasuna and the so-called herriko tabernas and ordered to make an inventory of the assets of the "herriko tabernas."