High-profile Spanish judge Baltasar Garzon recently castigated the separatist Basque guerrilla group ETA as “nazis”, arguing that they, and the banned Basque political party Batasuna, are guilty of “ethnic cleansing”. He accused the group’s members of threatening and intimidating non-nationalist Basques and non-Basques, to the point of forcing them to flee the Basque country. "Separating part of the population from their land for reasons of ethnic origin ... is criminal conduct as well as a crime against humanity," Garzon said. He has requested the civil guard, Spanish police, and the Basque community police to compose reports to support his claims. This call is mostly symbolic, as "crimes against humanity" do not increase the 30-year maximum Spanish prison sentences. ETA, in its campaign for Basque independence, has killed over 800 people since 1967. The group is considered "western Europe's most active guerilla group", and deemed "a terrorist organization" by the United States, the European Union, and Spain. Garzon's charges extend to the Batasuna party, as he recently suspended its activities for three years, alleging it supports ETA’s violent campaign.
