UK judge authorises Troitiño extradition

A BRITISH judge has authorised the extradition of ETA terrorist Antonio Troitiño to Spain to face charges for belonging to the terrorist group.

Troitiño was behind a terrorist attack in 1986 on a Guardia Civil bus in Madrid’s Plaza de la Republica Dominicana during which a dozen officers died and more than 50 people were injured.

After his release from jail for that crime, Spanish prosecutors believe he rejoined ETA, and have requested his extradition on that basis.

Judge Howard Riddle from Westminster Magistrates Court rejected a second charge of which Spain accused Troitiño, that of faking official documents for allegedly holding a false passport when he was first arrested in London in June 2012.

Upon giving his sentence, the judge said he was rejecting the second charge due to lack of sufficient evidence that the crime was committed in Spain.

During the hearing, the magistrate rejected all reasons given by the defence and said that the joint trust between Spain and the UK took preference.

A spokesperson from Troitiño’s defence said that he intends to appeal to London’s Supreme Court, which he has seven days to do.

Defence lawyer Mark Summers stated that the charges against his client had political undertones, which public prosecutor Ben Lloyds, who represented the Spanish authorities, denied.