A BASQUE separatist convicted of 25 murders is believed to have left Northern Ireland, lawyers seeking his extradition to Spain said yesterday.
High Court judges in Belfast were told Jose Ignacio de Juana Chaos had not reported to police or been at an agreed address in the city for more than a month.
An application has now been made to revoke bail granted to the 54-year-old ahead of his scheduled appeal against being ordered back to Spain to face a new charge of glorifying terrorism.
De Juana had been living with his wife in west Belfast while fighting the extradition proceedings.
The Basque, who served more than 21 years in jail for his part in the armed Basque nationalist and separatist organisation Eta’s campaign of murders, is wanted over the contents of a letter read out at a rally in San Sebastián the day after his release in August 2008.
He faces the possibility of further imprisonment if convicted of the public justification of terrorist actions, which caused humiliation and intensified the grief of victims and their relatives.
De Juana first surfaced in the Republic on August 3rd, 2008, the day after his release from jail. Within weeks he had applied to the Spanish embassy in Dublin to update his passport, and gave an address in Killester of James Monaghan, one of the Colombia Three.
A warrant was issued by Interpol for de Juana’s arrest, and Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern pledged his support to find him and have him extradited.
The PSNI joined the hunt and De Juana appeared before a Belfast court on November 17th, 2008, where his lawyer said he planned to fight his extradition.
Last month the Recorder for Belfast rejected claims that de Juana would not receive a fair trial, and might face harsher punishment for his political beliefs.
With de Juana’s lawyers claiming further imprisonment would be inhumane and could leave him facing death due to fragile mental health, he was due to appeal the extradition order next month.
Pending that challenge, he was required to report daily to Grosvenor Road police station, stay at a known address, and observe a night-time curfew.
De Juana had received permission to work at two cafes as part of the bail arrangements.
But Stephen Ritchie, for the Spanish authorities, told the High Court yesterday: “He has not reported to police since March 25th, the day before his case last came before this court. He has not been at his home address when police called, or indeed the two named cafes.”
Mr Ritchie added: “There is good reason to believe he may well have left the jurisdiction.”
The barrister confirmed he was seeking to have bail revoked.
Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan adjourned the case pending further submissions.