No impunity for ETA crimes after dissolution

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said on Friday there would be no impunity for the crimes of Basque separatist militants ETA following the announcement of their dissolution this week.

“There has never been and there never will be any impunity,” he said in a televised speech.

“Today ETA finally has recognised, after 50 years, that its entire history has been a failure. It hasn’t achieved any of its political objectives set over its long criminal history, none. The terrorists did not gain anything for killing, neither did they when they stopped killing some years ago and they will not obtain anything either for announcing their dissolution,” the PM said.

“ETA’s crimes will continue to be investigated, its crimes will be put on trial and, in its case, punished, and the sentences handed down will continue to be served. There has never been and there never will be any impunity,” he added.

ETA said on Thursday it had completely dismantled and ended all its activity, ending a 50-year campaign of violence across Spain in which it killed around 850 people.