Spain's public prosecutor demands 30 years in prison for five ex-ETA leaders over the killing of Gregorio Ordóñez. The case highlights renewed efforts to hold the group's leadership accountable for past attacks.
Spain's public prosecutor has formally requested 30-year prison terms for five former leaders of ETA, targeting them for their alleged role in the 1995 assassination of Gregorio Ordóñez, then deputy mayor of San Sebastián and a prominent member of the Partido Popular. The move marks a significant escalation in efforts to hold the upper ranks of the now-defunct terrorist group responsible for attacks carried out under their command.
The prosecution's case centers on José Javier Arizcuren (Kantauri), Ignacio Gracia Arregui (Iñaki de Rentería), Miguel Albisu (Mikel Antza), Julián Achurra (Pototo), and Juan Luis Aguirre (Isuntza). All five were previously indicted by the Audiencia Nacional in 2025, but this is the first time prosecutors have sought such lengthy sentences for the leadership in connection with Ordóñez's murder. The case underscores a broader judicial strategy to pursue ETA's former leadership for crimes committed by their subordinates, even years after the group's dissolution.
According to the indictment, the attack on Ordóñez was not a random act but part of a deliberate campaign orchestrated by ETA's executive committee, known as Zuba. The prosecution argues that the group adopted a systematic approach to violence, aiming to destabilize the Spanish state and intimidate those opposed to its political goals. The killing of Ordóñez, who was widely seen as a leading candidate for mayor in the upcoming 1995 elections and a vocal opponent of ETA, was allegedly chosen as a symbolic act to inaugurate a new phase of targeting high-profile civilian figures.
The three direct perpetrators of the assassination—members of the Donosti commando unit—were convicted years ago. However, the responsibility of the organization's leadership remained unaddressed until the case was reopened in 2015 at the request of Ordóñez's family. Since then, police reports and the testimony of two former ETA members, who appeared as protected witnesses in 2023, have strengthened the case against the ex-leaders. Prosecutors now propose that these witnesses testify at the upcoming trial, potentially providing crucial evidence against the accused.
The indictment details how, after the 1992 dismantling of ETA's leadership in Bidart, France, Gracia Arregui and Albisu rebuilt the group's structure, bringing in Arizcuren, Aguirre, and Achurra to form a renewed executive. This leadership is accused of launching the so-called "socialization of suffering" strategy, which expanded ETA's targets beyond security forces to include civilians and political figures. The selection of Ordóñez as a target, prosecutors argue, was a collective decision by the committee, later publicly claimed by ETA through the newspaper Egin, which was linked to the abertzale left.
On the day of the attack, Ordóñez was shot in the head at close range while dining with colleagues in a San Sebastián bar. The incident, as reported by EL PAÍS, shocked the city and marked a turning point in ETA's campaign of violence. Journalist Aurora Intxausti, who covered the crime, later became a target herself, with ETA attempting to kill her and her family.
Spain's approach to prosecuting historical crimes by terrorist organizations has evolved in recent years, with courts increasingly willing to revisit cases and pursue those who held command responsibility. This trend is not unique to terrorism; similar legal strategies have been applied in high-profile financial crimes, as seen in cases like the Castellón caregiver fraud investigation, where authorities have sought to trace accountability beyond direct perpetrators.
ETA, which announced its dissolution in 2018, was responsible for more than 800 deaths over several decades. The organization's rigid, hierarchical structure and its use of violence to achieve political aims have left a lasting impact on Spanish society and politics. The current trial against its former leaders is seen as a test of Spain's commitment to justice for victims and a signal that command responsibility will not be overlooked, regardless of the passage of time.
Legal experts note that the prosecution's reliance on protected witness testimony and detailed police investigations reflects a broader shift in how Spain addresses unresolved crimes from the era of ETA's activity. The outcome of this case could influence future proceedings against other former members of the group and shape the legal landscape for addressing historical acts of terrorism in the country.
