02/12/2007
Iñaki de Juana Chaos was arrested in Madrid in 1987 and sentenced to 3,000 years in prison as the perpetrator of 25 murders. He was sentenced according to the 1973 Penal Code, which limited his stay in prison to a maximum of 30 years.
Due to the penitentiary benefits contemplated by that legislation, he reduced his sentence in 12 years, and after serving 18 years in prison, he should have been released on October 25, 2004. But then, the Spanish National Court hindered his release, rejected the reductions for studies, and set a new date for his release: February 9, 2005.
Socialist PSOE and conservative PP criticised his imminent release claiming social alarm.
A month before that date, the Public Prosecution's Office of the National Court charged him with terrorist band membership and terrorist threats for two articles he published in 2004 in the Basque daily Gara. This is the sequence of events since those charges were put forward:
January 10, 2005: Following the prosecutor's request, National Court judge Fernando Grande-Marlaska orders the provisional imprisonment of Iñaki de Juana Chaos for two new charges: armed band membership and terrorist threats.
January 11, 2005: the Spanish deputy PM, Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega, says it is "reassuring" that De Juana stay in prison.
June 13, 2005: National Court judge Santiago Pedraz rejects to try De Juana as he sees no crime in the articles. The Basque prisoner should have left prison two months later, but the Prosecution appealed the judicial decision.
July 7, 2005: National Court orders De Juana's imprisonment and orders judge Pedraz to try him. A month later the judge started the proceedings.
August 22, 2005: Pedraz takes statement from five prison workers and they affirm they feel "threatened" by the contents of the articles De Juana wrote.
February 8, 2006: The Justice minister of the Spanish Government, Juan Fernando Lopez Aguilar, announces that the Government "will build new charges" to avoid the release of ETA prisoners.
June 29, 2006: National Court Prosecution requests a 96-year sentence for De Juana.
August 7, 2006: Iñaki de Juana starts his first hunger strike to demand his release. He puts an end to it 63 days later.
September 19, 2006: National Court orders to force-feed him if his life is in danger.
September 20, 2006: The prisoner is taken to the Algeciras-based hospital for several medicals. On that same day, he starts to be force-fed.
October 6, 2006: De Juana is taken to the Madrid-based hospital Doce de Octubre, specialised in diet treatment.
October 8, 2006: De Juana Chaos puts and end to his first hunger strike, which lasted 63 days .
October 9, 2006: Debate in the Basque Parliament; groups don't reach any agreement to request the release of the prisoner, as the Communist Party of the Basque Lands (EHAK) requested.
October 10, 2006: Prosecution admits that the original prison petition of 96 years "could be excessive and out of proportion." On the previous day, there was a leak to the media that Prosecution was studying to reduce the petition.
October 17, 2006: De Juana is taken to the Aranjuez prison as he is discharged from the hospital Doce de Octubre.
October 26, 2006: National Court prosecutor, Jesus Alonso, who had requested a 96-year sentence, rejects to represent the Public Ministry in the trial, as he doesn't agree with the expected reduction of the sentence petition.
October 27, 2006: Trial against De Juana for the contents of the articles starts. The prisoner denies the articles had any threats and affirms it was "pure political criticism."
Furthermore, Prosecutor Fernando Burgos suggests two alternatives to the sentence petition: four years in prison if the judge thinks the crime was praising terrorism, or 13 if he thinks he made "threats."
November 7, 2006: De Juana starts his second hunger strike. On the same day, there was a leak into the media that the National Court would seek a 12-year sentence for threats.
November 8, 2006: The National Court unveils the sentence: 12 years and 7 months in prison for De Juana.
On the same day, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero notes that the sentence "could hinder the process" with regard to the scenario after ETA declared a permanent ceasefire on March 22.
The Basque prisoner sent a letter to the chief of the jail where he is imprisoned affirming he will take the hunger strike to the end. On the following day, his lawyer announces he will appeal the sentence.
November 24, 2006: The inmate is taken to the hospital Doce de Octubre as there are faults in his blood tests. Nevertheless, doctors affirm his condition is not serious.
December 11, 2006: De Juana's relatives note doctors had warned the prisoner could die a sudden death.
January 14 and 15, 2007: A delegation of the Committee to Prevent Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment and Punishment of Europe visits De Juana.
January 23, 2007: The media know the National Court could be thinking of releasing the prisoner on parole.
January 24, 2007: The National Court agrees to seize the author rights of the prisoner for three of his books by the publishing company Txalaparta.
January 25, 2007: National Court agrees to let De Juana in prison. His lawyer later appeals the sentence.
Polemic accompanied the resolution since three magistrates were to take the decision and a whole panel did so eventually. The three magistrates sought to release the inmate on parole.
January 31, 2007: Basque writers and musicians visit De Juana.
February 5, 2007: British daily The Times interviews Iñaki de Juana and publishes some photos that show a very thin Iñaki de Juana. In the interview, the prisoner pleads for dialogue to win peace.
February 8, 2007: The National Court rejects the appeal of De Juana's lawyer, so that he has to stay in prison.
February 9, 2007: The Basque Parliament approves a text describing the sentence as "excessive" and rejects the initiatives by leftwing nationalist EHAK and Aralar to release the prisoner.
February 12, 2007: The Supreme Court studies an appeal requesting De Juana's release, and reduces his sentence from 12 to 3 years in prison.
March 1, 2007: Interior Ministry orders reduced prison terms for De Juana, and he is taken from Madrid to a Basque hospital. Spokesman for the group in defence of Basque prisoners' rights, Juan Mari Olano, announces De Juana puts an end to his hunger strike.
June 6, 2007: Iñaki de Juana Chaos is taken back to a Spanish prison in Madrid following the announcement that ETA called off its cease-fire.
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