Spain's High Court has refused a request by two leaders of an outlawed Basque political party to travel to Ireland next month to attend an event organised by republicans, a judge said today.
Judge Fernando Grande-Marlaska denied Arnaldo Otegi and Pernando Barrena permission to visit Dublin and Belfast between May 8 and 12, citing a risk that the two -- who are out of jail on bail -- might try to escape.
The pair are accused of belonging to a terrorist organisation. Their Batasuna party and the armed guerrilla group ETA are considered terrorist organisations by the European Union.
ETA declared a permanent ceasefire on March 22, raising hopes of an end to a 38-year campaign for Basque independence which has killed around 850 people. Otegi is likely to be a major figure in any peace process because of Batasuna's links to ETA.
The High Court sentenced Otegi yesterday to 15 months in prison for glorifying terrorism, although the state attorney general said he would not make Otegi serve the sentence.
The judge justified barring Otegi and Barrena from travel on the grounds that they would attend the event organised by Sinn Fein, in their capacity as spokesmen for an outlawed group, giving it recognition as the political wing of ETA.
Spain's Socialist Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has said he plans to go to Ireland in the next months to discuss what to do with ETA and Batasuna.