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

Santa Pola Local Police intensify road checks

The Santa Pola Local Police conducted a number of control and verification operations on Sunday at several sites throughout the municipality, paying special attention to the Gran Alacant region. The police claim that these measures are a part of an effort to improve public safety and deter crimes that can disturb local residents’ quality of life.

At vehicle checkpoints, officers conduct inspections, identifying drivers and passengers, checking documents, and looking for suspicious activity. In accordance with Law 4/2015 on Citizen Security, roughly 80 vehicles were searched during these operations, about 50 were identified, and several drug possession complaints were made.

The police deployment also involved the issuance of many administrative reports for violations of the General Regulations for Vehicles and Drivers and the examination of some hunters’ guns documents. Additionally, two instances of drug-impaired driving were found, and the related reports were submitted.

According to the Local Police Headquarters, the goals of these controls are to lessen illegal activity, guarantee legal compliance, and improve the rapport between the Santa Pola community and the police. The major goals are to deter crime, find possible criminals, and, most importantly, build community trust by encouraging cooperation between law enforcement and the public.

The organisation stresses how crucial it is for the public to be aware of police presence on the streets because officers’ visibility not only helps to identify infractions but also discourages criminal activity, fostering peace and public order.

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Costa Blanca

With 141 direct flights to 30 countries, Alicante Airport kicks off the summer

On Sunday, 30th March, El Altet Airport in Elche opened for the summer season with 141 direct services to about 30 countries, three more than the previous year, including connections to Greece, Moldova, and Serbia. This coincided with the time change.

Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport will host 29 aircraft during the 2025 summer travel season, which runs through to October 26th. Additionally, the airport serves up to 31 airlines.

With 25 direct itineraries, the UK has once again emerged as the nation with the most connections at El Altet Airport this summer. Second place goes to Germany, where there are about fifteen direct flights.

Yesterday, Monday 31st March, three new routes were introduced. Two are run by Ryanair, with connections to Poland and Austria, and one by EasyJet, which links Elche Airport with Athens.

Ryanair Alicante — Copyright: Derek Appleton

Additionally, a new route to Linz, Austria, run by low-cost airline Ryanair, will be introduced today Tuesday, April 1st. Jet2 will start operating a new connection to London Luton on Thursday.

Next month, connections will be added to Bordeaux and Chisinau, the capital of Moldova; flights to Belgrade will be added beginning in June; and in July, a route to the Channel Island of Guernsey will be introduced.

Airlines have booked 14.7 million seats at Elche airport between arrivals and departures, which is 3.2% more than what was planned for last summer and 6% more than what was really used.

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Costa Blanca

Calpe invests 150,000 euros to provide street lighting for its 75 residential areas

The state of the solar lamps in different residential areas has been thoroughly examined by the Calpe City Council. In order to confirm their correct operation, this study was carried out in cooperation with the lighting manufacturer and the contracting firm, Sociedad Ibérica de Construcciones Eléctricas, SA (SICE).

Visual checks and functional tests were conducted during the inspections, which were conducted on February 3rd, 5th, 11th, and 18th and March 3rd, 10th, and 11th, 2025. The lights were made to turn on using a remote control provided by the manufacturer.

Out of the 366 solar streetlights that were examined, 20 were found to be stolen, while 32 were found to be malfunctioning. The contracting business will need to examine 29 of these 32 in further detail in order to decide what repairs are required. In other words, the business needs to fix the streetlights that aren’t functioning right now. Twenty streetlights have already been reported stolen.

Public illumination in all 75 residential neighbourhoods is the aim

The Calp City Council will continue to keep an eye on the facilities’ state and will mandate that the contractor complete the tasks required to guarantee the municipality’s solar lighting system operates as intended. Similarly, the appropriate steps will be taken to stop more vandalism that could harm these infrastructures.

Municipal services are already working on a new contract to enhance the current service and continue putting illumination in additional locations. The tender price for the new contract will be €150,000.

In order to keep enhancing public lighting in these locations, this gives the Urban Development Lighting Plan continuity. The City Council wants to make sure that all urban developments have public lighting by putting new lighting plans into action. It should be mentioned in this context that Calpe has 75 urban developments inside its municipal limits, some of them are from the 1960s and 1970s, and as a result, their infrastructure has deteriorated.

“The report on the state of the solar streetlights that the City Council has been installing over the last three years is good news,” said Mayor Ana Sala. We’ll keep getting better. A report has been filed regarding the theft of a few streetlights. Since other streetlights are still covered under warranty, they must be fixed. We will request that the business chosen to do this installation fix them as quickly as possible. In addition, we want to spend €150,000 on new streetlights and the upkeep that goes along with them in residential areas where lighting is more problematic. In the upcoming months, we want to keep making investments in this field. We will remember these residential places.