Belfast Court orders extradition of de Juana Chaos to Spain
I mentioned recently that convicted ETA killer José Ignacio (Iñaki) de Juana Chaos was still fighting extradition proceedings on charges of glorifying terrorism in Spain. Today the BBC reports that Belfast Recorder Tom Burgess has ordered that the extradition of de Juana Chaos should proceed.
Judge Burgess said there was no evidence that he would not receive a fair trial, and he could seek bail from the courts in Spain. He recognised the potential impact if he were to be sent back to jail, especially if put in solitary confinement, but added that if he engaged with the Spanish judicial system, arguments could be advanced for why he should be granted bail. He said questions about his mental state should be left to the Spanish authorities.
Now, joe, you are being mischievous. I didn’t choose to live in NI. Superior English might forced me to live here. If we had been a nation of 30 – 40 million souls the problem wouldn’t have arisen. And ,rightly or wrongly, you can’t ride both the British and the Irish horse at the same time as things stand now. But, then, you know all that. As pippakin would say, you are ‘almost’ trolling.
Comrade, I understand the conundrum, and don´t claim to have an all encompassing solution.
Then stop repeating this bollocks about diplock courts when you don’t have the means to support your argument.
I believe the extradition of De Chaos is a political decision, brought on by State pressure.
Lets face it, the phrase” Kick the ball forward” could mean battle on in the political or electoral sense. I have read the full script and it certainly isn´t clear he was referring to armed struggle.
It sounds to me as if the European jurisdiction procedures don’t allow one member state to block extradition to another member state except under very limited grounds. If he wanted asylum he should have gone somewhere else.
So Comrade, I cant condemn an unfair and biased judicial system until I rewrite and reshape the entire justice system, here on Slugger??
I showed a bit of honesty and admitted there probably is no perfect system in which everyone is happy.
Though I still believe State picked Judges overseeing cases of Anti State activists is hardly fair.
State picked Judges overseeing cases of Anti State activists is hardly fair
Old School,
What alternative do you suggest?
Socaire,
The history of these islands has been totally intertwined for almost a thousand years, much longer in the case of Northern Ireland and Scotland. That has been both good and bad. Nationality can be quite fuzzy. I met a woman this morning who happens to be from North Wales. She told me that one of her sons is Irish.
Joe, my alternative would not be pleasing to most here in Slugger and would probably be removed if I posted it.
I know, joe, yiz were both on the drink. Post please, old school, PB is down the pub!!
PB has a laptop and his local has wi-fi.
I´m new here, and had a pretty tame post removed yesterday. I´m playing gingerly.
End of Crown Judiciary in Ireland….few guys up against the wall…individuals standing before me in pointy hats and stocks… Think the Chinese Revolution just with dour accents.
Teacher is never far away is he boys…
old school, Did you read the commenting policy?
Near top, RHS.
old school,
Won’t get rid of the problem as you see it; who owns the walls?
So when you say “old school”, it means you’re a fascist. I’m glad that’s cleared up.
It´s only cleared up in your head, Comrade.
“Fascist”? What a lazy, catch-all insult.
Do we really have to insert smilies in our posts for those who don´t do humour??
In a speech in the House of Commons on 11 November 1947, Winston Churchill said:
No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.
So Comrade, I cant condemn an unfair and biased judicial system until I rewrite and reshape the entire justice system, here on Slugger??
No. I’m saying that if you claim a system is fair and unbalanced, but you can’t explain why you think that, then you’re a fuckwit. By all means feel free to continue being a fuckwit, I can’t stop you.
Though I still believe State picked Judges overseeing cases of Anti State activists is hardly fair.
Who do you think should pick the judges then ?
BTW, for someone called Comrade Stalin to get irked about references to “show trials” is irony even Americans would get.
Slugger is a funny old place. I would never have guessed that this blog would have got so many comments.
Keep it civil, guys.
Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Pete does have a laptop and his local does have wi-fi.
Comrade, I have explained twice in this thread, as to WHY I believe the system is unfair and unbalanced, weighing heavily on the side of the State.
I have also refrained from personal insults.
JoeCanuck,
I was just thinking the same thing……some Basque gets deported and its worth 70 comments. I think this proves the Blogosphere is not Real Life, where nobody actually cares.
On reflection I have actually posted three times that I dont care. Hmmm
FitzjamesHorse,
Nevertheless, this has been a good debate; best of Slugger. If it has interested a few of us, and not the rest of the population, so what? Like a pub discussion.
Indeed …but does it not indicate that in this particular case “Slugger” is completely out of touch with what really interests people.
Personally I believe he disconnect between Media and the public is a bigger issue than some Basque being kicked out back to Spain.
Of course nobody is actually gonna start a debate on the bigger issue.
“But real people wont give a damn.”
Never have. Always been the problem.
“He has not been treated unfairly so far.”
Over a decade in solitary confinement and a hunger strike to make sure that he was released as scheduled rather prove otherwise. And here:
Under sentencing guidelines then in force he had to serve only 18 years and was due to be freed in 2004. The Government, fearing a public outcry, unearthed two opinion articles that he had published in a Basque newspaper and charged him with making terrorist threats. Juan Fernando López Aguilar, the Justice Minister, promised to do “whatever is in our power to prevent these releases”, adding that the Government was working to “construct new charges” against Eta prisoners “like we did with de Juana Chaos”.
Lastly, the charge is usually tried in the district wherein the alleged offense was committed. So, yeah, his fellow Basque would throw him to the wolves, as they are just like those other folks next door who banned the Basque language and their dance.
Almost forgot, but did you all learn nothing from the Birmingham Six, the Guildford Four and the Maguire Seven. Once again, the absence of the, ? , means that it was a statement and not a question, as the answer is painfully clear to me. Note the one phrase in ” ” above, to wit, “construct new charges”, yes, just the like the constructed charges that imprisoned the Birmingham Six, the Guildford Four, and the Maguire Seven.
FitzjamesHorse,
Slugger interests those of us who are interested; quite a number. Not all readers comment. It’s good enough.
Slappy,
You have introduced a brand new argument. I know nothing about his original trial. Are you claiming that he was framed?
JoeCanuck.
Indeed. It is an alternative reality.
Joe: No, not with respect his trial for murder. Re the opinion pieces in the paper that were the basis of his second trial, well, not “framed”, at least not as we usually define that word in this context. But kindly note that no one cared about what he wrote in some Basque paper until he was due to be released following his initial conviction. Then it was time to “construct new charges”. As it stands now, well, someone else claims to have read a letter he wrote, yet no one can produce the letter. If that weren’t bad enough, the “kick the ball forward” is rather vague, don’t you think?
Lastly, this about sums it up:
“All courts are more than conscious of the statements and pressures that emanate from many sources outwith the judicial system, but there is no reason to believe that the judicial system of Spain is any less robust in carrying out its duties without fear or favour.”
Yes, and that explains why imprisoned ETA members were incarcerated as far from home as possible.
By the way, guess who got the ball kicked forward? “The Association for the Victims of Terrorism filed a complaint in which it said…” The Willie Frazers of Spain.
Yes, and that explains why imprisoned ETA members were incarerated as far from home as possible.
It brings tears to your eyes.
Pip:
The quality of mercy is not strain’d,
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes
“It brings tears to your eyes.”
Doesn’t it just? This scumbag murdered a total of 25 people and despite being sentenced to 3,000 years for a litany of horrific crimes he able to use a quirk in Spanish law to get out of jail after serving a mere 17 years, or about 8 months for every life he took. It’s a funny old world when folks are so easily brainwashed into weeping for the victimizers and couldn’t give a toss about their victims.
slappymcgroundout
I will save my mercy and my sympathy for the victims of terrorists/murderers wherever they are.
Snr Chaos has not just the laws of Spain and the UK to rely on. He also has the laws of the European Union and I am sick of the pretense that the murderer is the victim. It is long past time we Irish got rid of our penchant for victims
Alias
Read the above. I am not old school or socaire. I am a nationalist opposed to all violence, in particular the abuse of children, the rape of young girls and the sadistic murder of young men.
Pip: Has nothing to do with “penchant for victims”. Also has nothing to do with Irish. I am one of those Americans that didn’t answer the ethnicity question. I am American. End of story. When I used “we” in reference to Irish-American heritage month in the one post in further reference to our being just much more insufferable over this month, I was simply speaking as a collective American who understands that some didn’t skip the question but answered Irish-American and presumably act accordingly. You and I otherwise protect Chaos to protect ourselves, since under other circumstances, we too might find ourselves the subjects of an extradition warrant. I am simply pointing out the fact that given the local history, and his own history as well, there is reason to question whether he gets due process of law. And avoiding the deprivation is always to be preferred over trying to remedy the deprivation.
Alias: You wrote:
a quirk in Spanish law
Is your privilege against self-incrimination a quirk in the law? Your right of free association? So it wasn’t a quirk in Spanish law, it was Spanish law. For the poetic justice, it was Franco law, the same Franco who banned their language and their dance. Maybe they should be angry with Franco. In the meantime, I’ll let you explain the rational in sentencing the human to a term of years that rather exceeds all known human life expectancy. That’s a little more quirky, if you ask me.
“I am a nationalist opposed to all violence…”
Don’t suppose you get to too many hurling matches then, Pips?
Slappymcgroundout
Sorry I got your nationality wrong. I should have remembered we are on www and anyone can be anywhere. I do not believe Snr Chaos will be badly treated in Spain and I get tired of the ‘usual suspects’ chanting the ‘usual’ excuses.
Rory Carr
Not for a very, very long time. The same goes for Rugby, although I was delighted with the win on Saturday.
“This scumbag murdered a total of 25 people”
He did???