 WESTMINSTER Court has authorised the extradition of an ETA member arrested in London this year after he fled to the UK in 2001 – a year after being found guilty of aiding and abetting the Basque terrorist cell.
Kemen Uranga Artola, 43, is said to have allowed the Commando Vizcaya to use his flat in Bilbao as a base and to store explosives, arms and documents giving instructions on how to create bombs.
This was uncovered in October 2000, and Uranga fled the country to avoid arrest.
He was taken into custody in London in August this year.
During trial, however, Uranga's defence lawyer Mark Summers argued that the charges against his client were not classed as a 'crime' under British law at the time they were committed.
It was not until March 2001 that 'collaborating with terrorism' was formally regarded as an offence.
If the charges could not be considered a crime, it would mean Uranga could not be extradited to Spain.
But the Crown Prosecution Service called for the offence to be considered on its own merit rather than within the restrictions of those classified as crimes at the time it was committed.
Judge John Zani rejected the request for bail put forward by the defence, which means Uranga will remain in Long Lartin prison in Worcestershire, UK, until he is formally extradited to Spain.
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