Spain’s Supreme Court outlawed the radical Basque political party Batasuna today, agreeing with the government’s allegation that it forms an integral part of the violent separatist group E.T.A. The unanimous decision by 16 judges on the court’s Special Tribunal means that the group, which usually wins between 10 and 15 percent of the Basque vote, must immediately cease all political activity and will not be able to run in local elections in May. Francisco Hernando, president of the court, told reporters that Batasuna, and its predecessors Herri Batasuna and Euskal Herritarrok, had violated the Law on Political Parties passed last summer and aimed at groups that support terrorism. Although the full ruling will not be made public for several days, Judge Hernando said the decision “outlaws the specified political formations and therefore requires their dissolution and their removal from the Register of Political Parties.” In practice, Batasuna has not been able to operate since August, when a Spanish judge issued a temporary ban on the party for alleged terrorist activities. Full Story
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