The PSOE rectifies and decides to support in Europe the investigations against ETA for crimes against humanity

• Politics The European Parliament asks that the crimes of ETA be investigated as crimes against humanity with the rejection of the PSOE

• Courts The European Parliament commission considers ETA's terrorist crimes "as crimes against humanity"

Until the last moment, in the amendment phase, the PSOE avoided supporting investigations for crimes against ETA for crimes against humanity.

But finally, today, in the final vote of the opinion of the European Parliament, it has rectified and has supported these investigations.

From the socialist ranks, it was defended that the legislation only includes crimes against humanity since 2004, so it was not possible to act against ETA before that time.

but has finally joined the majority.

The

has approved the report with 27 votes in favor, three against and three abstentions.

The report of the commission, which visited Spain to find out why there were more than 370 unsolved ETA crimes, not only supports the investigations into ETA crimes against humanity but also "suggests" that the Government apply prison benefits to ETA members that they collaborate with the Justice in clarifying the murders they are solving and that action be taken to avoid the

to defend the victims of terrorism.

The text finally approved indicates that it is necessary to "suggest to the competent institutions that they exhaust the interpretive possibilities of criminal law, including the possible recognition of ETA's terrorist crimes as crimes against humanity, even before 2004, for which reason it is considered that they are not subject to prescription or amnesty. Remember that several initiatives have already been presented to modify the

so that the principle of legality is interpreted in accordance with international law."

In the previous vote on amendments to the report of the mission of the Petitions commission to investigate the unsolved crimes of ETA, the majority supported it but the PSOE spoke out against it.

But he did get a reward for his attempt to refine another of the report's most controversial points.

As EL MUNDO advanced, already in the draft, the commission wanted to recommend to the Spanish State that it demand that the ETA members collaborate with the Justice in order to obtain prison benefits.

In their reflections, the MEPs understood that the ETA prisoners should provide the data of those who had knowledge about the unsolved crimes.

Specifically, the final text reads as follows: "Urge the competent institutions to guarantee that the prison benefits and treatment that may be granted to those convicted of terrorism, in accordance with current Spanish legislation, are linked to their collaboration in the clarification of all those attacks of which they are aware, as an added sign of their repentance".

The PSOE sought to avoid a "very harsh" text with the current policy of rapprochement and grade progressions being carried out by the

Fernando Grande-Marlaska

The final report also endorses the "mediate authorship by domain of the organization", that is, the way by which the ETA leaders can be put on the bench for ordering the crimes or for not stopping them.

In the National High Court there are already six cases open in which the mediate authorship of the ETA chiefs is being investigated.

The EU report is a tribute to the victims who have managed to reopen these cases.

The commission is made up of MEPs

(EPP),

(S&D),

(Renew),

(ECR), Dolors Montserrat (EPP),

(S&D),

(Renew) and

(ECR).

They traveled to Spain last November at the request of the

association , chaired by

.

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• Articles Fernando Lazaro

• PSOE

• ETA