Costa Blanca

Former commander of ETA, has denied any involvement in the 1995 attack on airport

Iratxe Sorzabal, a former ETA leader, has denied her involvement in the attacks and has claimed that her confession to that attack and 21 others, which were recorded in a ‘kantada’ (a handwritten note sent by ETA members to the gang’s leadership after their arrest), was obtained under torture. She is currently facing six years in prison.

This is the statement she made in response to her attorney during the trial at the National Court, which is currently preparing for sentencing. The Public Prosecutor’s Office is requesting a six-year penitentiary sentence for her.

Sorzabal, who wept as she recalled her second arrest in 2001 and her time in police detention, insisted that she began collaborating with ETA in 1996. However, she denied that she was a member of any commando group, as her responsibilities with the group included securing the border with France.

During her interrogation, the former ETA member disclosed that the Civil Guard subjected her to a variety of forms of torture after her arrest. She discussed electrodes that caused burns on her back, bags being placed in her mouth, and blows. This experience compelled her to disclose the information she was compelled to admit as her own in the “kantada” and during her incommunicado detention at police stations.

“I signed because I had not slept for two days,” he stated. He also took 28 photographs and offered to claim the attack on Carrero Blanco as his own, which elicited amusement from the officers.

The prosecutor in the case, Carlos García Berro, maintained his request for Sorzabal’s sentence following his statement. He explained that in this case, there are only two essential pieces of evidence: the statement made by the ETA member herself and her ‘kantada’. He acknowledged the latter as valid, suggesting that the defence cannot assert that this handwritten note should be acknowledged in certain trials but not in others: “It is Schrödinger’s ‘kantada’.”

He emphasised that the document should be analysed independently of the police statement and the circumstances of the arrest in this regard. He described this type of note as genuine and spontaneous, as it was a “compulsory accountability by ETA.” Consequently, he disassociated this note from the police statement.

He also emphasised specific details about her, including the fact that she was recruited by her companion, Iñaki Tellechea, who was also a member of the gang, to join ETA in 1994.

Nevertheless, Sorzabal’s defence, which initiated its report by advocating for a complete acquittal, underscored that this is a case in which the detainee was subjected to torture, that a handwritten note containing an account of her statements at the police station is included as evidence, and that if this rant is attributed to Sorzabal, it cannot be used to secure her conviction due to the violation of her constitutional rights.

Consequently, he expressed his scepticism that Sorzabal would have composed that note if she had not been tortured and suggested that it is challenging to legalise evidence of this nature when the detainee’s fundamental rights have been violated. He added a final issue after elucidating the procedural loopholes that complicate the validity of the evidence: if it were a confession, it would also be invalid because it was made without the presence of a counsel and without the knowledge of her rights.

“The nullity of the evidence is the only viable alternative.” He also stated that they are attempting to convict using null evidence and a handwritten note that has been inadequately translated and misinterpreted.

Sorzabal is accused of placing an incendiary device at the Altet Airport in Elche (Alicante) on July 29th, 1995, according to the Public Prosecutor’s indictment. At 12:45 p.m. on that day, a cleaning lady was “emptying the trash can located in the tunnel connecting the parking lot with the passenger arrivals area” when she “observed a bag containing a package containing cables and a battery.”

“After being notified, the State Security Forces and Corps proceeded to cordon off the area, and the Tedax deactivated the device, which turned out to be composed of a digital clock, a 9-volt battery, 500 grammes of the explosive substance Ameritol, an electric detonator, and some cables,” according to the prosecutor’s office information.

The information provided indicates that “no personal or property damage occurred, even though the explosive device was placed with the aim of causing maximum damage to people and public and private property.”

This marks the second occasion in which Sorzabal has been dragged before the court this year. The former ETA leader was tried for an October 1995 attack at the Irún border crossing (Guipúzcoa) that damaged the Spanish customs office at the end of last February. She is currently facing a 12-year prison sentence for this offence.

Sorzabal, who is currently awaiting her sentencing, denied “everything” during her statement as the accused. The statement also examined the accused’s “kantada,” which includes assaults that, at the time of their recording, had no clear perpetrator, such as the two aforementioned.

The manuscript that the former gang leader recounted “is everything” she “was made to memorise, with every detail” at the police station maintained.

The significance of this “kantada” is that it references attacks that have not been prosecuted or ascribed, such as the one that occurred against a Mapfre branch in 1993. This is precisely the reason why the tribunal did not concentrate on the Irún attack, but rather on the validation or dismantling of the document’s content.

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Costa Blanca

Elche sets the regulations for riding bicycles and e-scooters

The proposed ordinance that governs the operation of bicycles and scooters has been authorised by the Governing Board. In order to provide users with an opportunity to comprehend their responsibilities as drivers of these personal mobility vehicles, the regulations will not be implemented until January 1st, 2026.

Pablo Ruz, the mayor of Elche, has declared that the minimum age for operating scooters has been reduced from 16 to 14 years of age in order to enhance the mobility of students. Additionally, scooter riders will be prohibited from operating on sidewalks, regardless of whether they are assigned a designated cycle lane, or on pedestrian streets. It is mandatory for them to possess civil liability insurance issued by insurance companies and ride on roads or cycle paths while wearing a helmet. It is also possible to be prohibited from operating a scooter with more than one person. Similarly, electric scooters are permitted to operate on the hard shoulder of intercity roads, provided that they are equipped with lighting and a helmet. Nevertheless, motorcycles that are not motorised are prohibited from operating on public roads.

Helmets will not be mandatory for bicycles, with the exception of minors under the age of fourteen. They are permitted to travel at a maximum speed of ten kilometres per hour on single-track platforms, such as the Corredora, and on wide streets. Additionally, headphones will be prohibited for cyclists.

Despite the mayor’s assurance that this regulation is not intended to impose penalties, fines of 75 euros have been established for less serious cases. Serious cases, such as not wearing a helmet, being under the minimum age, not having insurance, or riding on the sidewalk, are subject to a fine of 200 euros. Very serious cases, such as drunk driving, are subject to a fine of 500 euros. Pablo Ruz underscored that the objective of this regulation is to regulate the operation of bicycles and motorcycles in order to guarantee public safety. Ruz clarified that hospitals have reported an increase in the number of scooter-related accidents in recent months.

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Costa Blanca

Torrevieja beach bars placed out to tender, but they won’t open until summer

Chiringuitos will not be accessible on Torrevieja’s beaches this Easter. Tourists anxiously anticipate the opportunity to enjoy a refreshing beverage on the sand, but neither residents nor visitors will be able to do so. The reason is that the tender for the concession to operate seasonal food and refreshment services on Torrevieja’s beaches was not submitted in a timely manner. The Public Sector Procurement Portal published it at the beginning of the month, and the deadline for submitting proposals is next Monday, 24th March.

Ten chiringuitos have been advertised for tender. Each one corresponds to a unique lot, and no more than one is permitted. The City Council’s objective is to increase the number of candidates entitled to receive one of these establishments.

In contrast to other municipalities, such as Orihuela, Torrevieja has established a uniform, standardised fee for each beach establishment. Every respondent is required to provide a minimum of €8,060 annually. Any proposal that exceeds this minimum will be the deciding factor.

The municipal coffers will receive a minimum of 322,000 euros in fees for the seaside bars over the course of the years 2025, 2026, 2027, and 2028, as the contract is for these years.

Seven in La Mata

A total of ten beach bars will be provided, as indicated by the technical specifications and the explanatory report. These will be dispersed across three shores. Seven beach establishments are available in La Mata, including two on Los Náufragos beach and one on Los Locos beach. The dimensions of each of these seashore bars must be identical. They are prohibited from occupying a total of 70 square meters, with 20 square meters designated for the beach bar and 50 square meters for the terrace. Furthermore, the seaside bar must be accompanied by a 10-square-metre restroom. The infrastructure must be dismantled by the successful candidates at the conclusion of each season.

A season that commences on March 15th and concludes on October 31st. Therefore, it is evident that the inaugural season will commence several weeks or even months after the application deadline has expired, as the contracting committee is required to evaluate and ultimately award the contract.

This tender, which was initiated in early December of last year following the expiration of the previous contract, is scheduled to come mere days before Easter. The installation of the shoreline bars in La Mata was delayed until the last day of March last year, as the Ministry of the Environment required authorisation after confirming that the Kentish Plover, a vulnerable species, did not nest in the area.

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Costa Blanca

Earthquake drill about to start in Torrevieja

Torrevieja is conducting an earthquake exercise today, Friday March 21st. Federico Alarcón, Councillor for Security and Emergencies, proclaimed that the city is conducting this drill to “be prepared in case something similar happens again, God forbid,” concomitant with the tragedy that occurred in 1829 as a result of an earthquake that impacted the entire Vega Baja region. Additionally, the councillor underscores the significance of “mutual understanding” among all agencies involved in an emergency situation, such as an earthquake. Efficient mitigation necessitates the manner in which those who are required to respond to a catastrophe do so. In reality, this exercise will involve a variety of entities, including the Red Cross, Civil Guard, Civil Protection, Local Police, SAMU (National Emergency Management Service), and firefighters.

The earthquake exercise will be conducted in three phases, as per Tomás Jesús Gallardo, the head of the Torrevieja Main Fire Station. The initial phase, “phase 0”, will involve a seismic alert. During this period, a Municipal Operational Coordination Centre (CECOPAL) will be established to determine whether the municipality’s schools should be evacuated in the event of “the imminent occurrence of a hypothetical earthquake”. The intervening bodies will concentrate on resolving the situation in the second phase, with a particular emphasis on the Sports Palace and the Las Lagunas Secondary School. Lastly, the “normalisation phase” will involve a press conference to provide an update on the seismic event, the response, and its repercussions.

The Councillor for Security and Emergencies emphasised that this is merely an exercise, as numerous residents mistakenly contact emergency services during these drills, believing them to be genuine emergencies. Indeed, Torrevieja is scheduled to host the weekly Friday market during the exercise, which commences at 9:30 a.m. Federico Alarcón says that the exercise will not encounter any difficulties due to this market. He also stated that it is advantageous that the potential earthquake does not occur at a time that is convenient for all parties involved.